UniBank, in partnership with Operation Smile, an International Medical Charity Organization, is undertaking a medical mission to perform free surgical operations for 150 patients born with cleft lips and cleft palates.
The mission is scheduled for March 31 to April, 11, 2016 at Ho, in the Volta Region.
Cleft lips and Cleft palate, the third commonest birth defect worldwide is increasingly spreading within some rural and urban areas in the country. The birth defect which occurs in approximately 1 per 1000 births can create speech and breathing problems sometimes resulting in death.
Speaking to Kasapa News, the Public Relations Manager of Unibank, Nana Ama explained that this is part of the bank’s social responsibility to the health sector.
The Director at the Plastic Surgery Department at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah also explained that given the limited awareness, children with clefts are stigmatized and sometimes tagged as coming from river gods.
“Some are even killed by relatives,” he added.
He explained further that UniBank as a caring partner together with Operation Smile Ghana is providing the platform to ensure that the medical mission echoes the bank’s CSR.
By: Adwoa Adubia Effah Frimpong/Kasapafmonline.com