Medical professionals perform free surgeries on cleft lip & palate patients in MP

The team included 40 medical volunteers, 26 from Cape Town, all part of a mission led by the non-profit group Operation Smile.

A group of South African medical professionals travelled to Mbombela, in Mpumalanga (MP), this past weekend to perform up to 25 free surgeries on patients born with cleft lip and palate conditions.

The team included 40 medical volunteers, 26 from Cape Town, all part of a mission led by the non-profit group Operation Smile.

Children with cleft conditions often face physical difficulties and social stigma.

The organisation aims to improve their quality of life, while also training local healthcare workers to provide cleft care within the public health system.

Executive director at Operation Smile South Africa, Sarah Scarth, said early intervention makes a lasting difference.

“For children born with a cleft condition, early surgical intervention is critical, and this is because it [affects] their ability to feed, to speak clearly, and to grow up with confidence and dignity.”