By Joel P. Mapiles / Correspondent
BACOLOR, Pampanga—With the support of Operation Smile and other volunteers, the “Nanay Smile Program” kicked off on Tuesday at the Ricardo P. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital Extension in this town.
The program initially benefited 30 cleft lip and cleft palate patients who underwent successful surgical treatment.
Jingle Maray, acting chief of hospital, cited the efforts of Operation Smile International, Kapampangan Development Foundation (KDF), Rotary Club of Mabalacat and other volunteers for the free surgical operation of children with facial deformities due to cleft lip and cleft palate.
She also thanked Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda for her support, saying that if it were not for her concern for the patients, this will not happen successfully.
It was learned that the surgical treatment and care will be done until Wednesday but the post-operation activity will last until Friday.
Antonio Jay Rivera, senior consultant of the hospital, said there is a need for a continuous and regular checkup after the Operation Smile mission.
He said Pineda and Vice Gov. Dennis Pineda are planning to turn the mission into a regular, program of the hospital starting July this year.
“Starting July, magkakaroon na tayo ng weekly Nanay Smile Program’ which we will call as Balik Ngiti Mula Kay Nanay Program, Rivera said.
Rivera said the program will be manned by two plastic surgeons, an anesthesiologist and trained nurses who will perform regular surgical operations for cleft lip and cleft palate patients.
“Our nurses are now observing and assisting the Operation Smile to gain more skills on operation-room techniques from our international colleague,” he said.
He said the cleft lip and cleft palate patients need not wait for another mission next year as the hospital will regularly conduct checkup and surgical care every Thursday.
“We also provide dental services. Our dentist abroad will train our local dentists here when he returns. They will be part of the holistic approach in taking surgical care for the patients. Holistic in the sense that all things needed for the transformation of the patients will be applied so time will come, we can come up with a Cleft Center,” Rivera said.
He said the KDF and the UP College of Speech and Pathology will help the hospital in the application of the holistic approach for the program.
“Opera, subaybay, balik ang patients for other concerns. Tapos tuturuan sila kung paano magsalita,” he added.
The specialist of Pampanga Emergency Medical Response Unit will be part of the program.
“Dito sa Rodriguez, bawal ang salitang indigent, we call them service patients. We are doing medical, surgical care for the benefit of our service patients,” he said.
Image credits: Daniel Ombina