Takhar cleft lip and palate children get free of cost treatment

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): A charity organization in northern Takhar province for the first time in coordination with the Public Health Department started the process of treating and operating dozens of children with cleft lip and palate, an official said on Saturday.

Public Health Director Dr. Abdul Qahar Ahmadi This program was supposed to be held at the zone level, but the people of Takhar province, including 16 districts, who could not travel to the zone due to economic problems, have been facilitated so that children with cleft lip and palate can be treated for free.

He said if the number of children affected by this is large, the treatment time will be also extended and for the time being this process is supposed to continue for three days in this province.

Allah Noor Erfan, head of the Saadat Welfare Association said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been inked with the Public Health Department on the bases of which children suffering from cleft lip and palate will be treated at one of the private Hospitals free of cost.

He said currently 35 children had registered and this process will continue for three days.

Some families who have brought their children for treatment are happy to say that due to economic problems, they could not go to private hospitals for years.

Khal Mohammad, the resident of Durqan district who brought his 10-year-old daughter for treatment, said: “My daughter has been suffering from cleft lip for many years, I visited private hospitals many times, but due to financial problems I was not able to treat my daughter, now I am happy that this program has been provided free of charge.”

Kamran, the resident of Badakhshan province, said: “Many times we decided to go to private hospitals, but due to economic problems, I was not able to treat my brother. Now that this process has been facilitated for free, I am happy.”

According to the doctors According to doctors, the use of prescribed medicines during pregnancy by mothers without a doctor's advice is considered one of the main reasons for giving birth to children with cleft lip and palate.

Public Health officials also pledged free heart surgery, eyelid surgery and burn treatment in this province in coordination with a team of Japanese doctors.

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