The Foundation stated that the poor and vulnerable are the worst hit, as they cannot afford the expensive cost of the surgeries.
It further stated that there is a dearth of professionals and surgeon specialists in facial reconstruction in the country, owing to the inadequate establishment of schools of dentistry in Nigeria.
Lafiya360 reports that facial deformities, which can be genetic or as a result of environmental factors, have one thing in common: Stigmatization, decimation of children’s potential, societal dislocation and ‘children out of school syndrome’.
The CFDF, to ensure that resident of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have access to qualitative surgeries for facial deformities, has carried out free surgeries in the FCT, at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH).
Speaking during the opening ceremony of ‘team 27’ free cleft and facial deformity surgery programme which held at UATH, the Executive Director of CFDF, Dr Seidu Bello, said, “Cleft & Facial Deformity Foundation was conceived about 11 years ago to serve as a platform to proffer a Nigerian solution to Nigerian problem of facial deformity scourge by creating awareness and assisting the less privileged with free surgery.
“We have traversed various hospitals in FCT, Niger, Kogi, Taraba, Edo, Katsina, Oyo, Nasarawa and Delta States. We have succeeded in creating awareness about the scourge of facial deformities in various communities.
“We have operated over 5,000 patients out of about 7,000 patients in attendance. One significant experience is the drastic reduction of adult cleft in Nigeria. In the first 4 programs, adult cleft was predominant with an average of 14.2 years.
“As of today, 44 patients have registered. We have operated on 13 while surgery continues for one week with a target of 50 patients. It is obvious that we cannot attend to everybody which is a wakeup call to the reality that facial deformities are not rare.
“Effective management of facial diseases requires continuous production of Maxillofacial surgeons which is a specialty of dentistry, and which are in short supply nationwide, with a little less than 200 specialists in Nigeria.
“Establishment of a school of dentistry at UniAbuja becomes easy utilizing already existing medical training infrastructure and will reinforce postgraduate training of specialist Maxillofacial surgeon at the Teaching Hospital.
“There is a need for a deliberate effort to increase the workforce, by producing more dentists and maxillofacial surgeons across Nigeria especially in the face of massive exodus of doctors; there are just about 10 schools of dentistry across Nigeria producing less than 250 dentists yearly.”
The Chief Medical Director of UATH, Prof. Bissallah Ekele, while addressing journalists, said, “The significance of this program lies in the fact that happiness is being brought to those who have been made unhappy because of facial deformities. It is also laudable to note that it is done free.
“The first credit of supporting these patients goes to the Foundation that provided resources – TY Danjuma Foundation. Next is the Foundation that provided personnel and the initiative – Cleft & Facial Deformity Foundation. What we have done simply is to provide the theatre space, and I suspect that after the surgeries, they will also go to the wards where they will have other support care, so that they will have holistic care.”