PRECIOUS SMILE. A baby about to undergo cleft palate surgery is given a balloon with a smiley, at the UniDav Hospital in Davao City on Thursday (Nov. 23, 2023). The life-changing surgery was facilitated by the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation, Inc. of Taiwan. (PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.)
DAVAO CITY – Eighteen kids have benefited from the free craniofacial surgery through a medical mission spearheaded by a Taiwanese medical group here from Nov. 19 to 24.
The Noordhoof Craniofacial Foundation, Inc. (NCF) doctors and nurses from Taiwan conducted the first-ever free craniofacial mission at the United Davao Specialists Hospital and Medical Center, Inc. (UniDav).
In a press briefing Thursday, Dr. Dax Carlo Pascasio, the team leader of the Filipino professional counterpart of NCF, said it was the first time they conducted the medical mission in the city.
After surgery, the 18 kids will also undergo post-operative treatments, which he said are all for free.
“They will be needing dentists, and other patients need speech therapy. These are some of the important things that needed to be addressed after the operation during medical missions,” Pascasio said.
This year, he said that the NCF medical mission came to the city to provide free cleft and palate surgery to patients, along with another purpose of establishing the region's first craniofacial center at UniDav Hospital.
The establishment of the center ensures that local patients, especially those facing financial constraints, receive comprehensive care without traveling to Manila, embodying the spirit of "Taiwan can help" with concrete moves.
“This team is the craniofacial center in the world. They are experts in this field,” he said, adding they intend to conduct a medical mission every week.
Teng-Shi Yang, the minister of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, said the NCF has been dedicated to aiding children born with congenital craniofacial defects.
He said they already organized 12 medical missions in the country; helped more than 300 patients and have trained 11 local medical professionals.
Amira Alibonga, a parent from Pagadian City, thanked the medical team for the successful operation on her six-month-old child, who has a unilateral cleft lip.
Alibonga said she immediately contacted the hospital when she knew about the medical mission.
“I am very grateful to them for my child’s smooth operation and all our expenses here at the hospital were free,” she said. (PNA)
