Free surgeries bring smiles to children's faces

AMMAN — Several Jordanian and Arab children in the Kingdom who had suffered from birth deformities can now smile confidently again after a non-profit organisation offered them free-of-charge surgeries.

The Organisation of Operation Smile Jordan, which is part of the international Operation Smile based in Virginia Beach in the US, has concluded its latest medical campaign in Jordan which targeted children who mainly suffer from cleft lip and cleft palate.

The surgeries were implemented at Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Hospital in Ain Basha in Balqa.

Bana Marei, the director of the organisation in Jordan, said that since it started working in the Kingdom in 2004, it has served 3,000 children.

Marei noted that the latest campaign, launched on Friday, was held over three days. One day was for screening while the other two days were for surgeries. 

Around 50 children have benefited from the free operations, she told The Jordan Times.

Mahmoud Al Bataineh, the organisation's medical director, said a medical team coming from different parts of the world, including the US, Australia and Jordan, was involved in the campaign. 

“These surgeries are really important because they help children psychologically in addition to improving their physical health,” he added. 

Today, 1 in 400 babies in Jordan is born with cleft lip and cleft palate — often unable to eat, drink or speak, and has difficulty in breathing, and learning, the statement showed.