BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City – Operation Smile Philippines, in collaboration with Watsons Philippines, Healthway Qualimed Hospital, Panay News, and the Iloilo City Government, is set to provide free surgeries for children with cleft lip and cleft palate. The Iloilo Surgical Program will be held from September 15 to 19, 2024 at Healthway Qualimed Hospital, with the goal of transforming the lives of affected children through simple yet life-changing procedures.
According to Emilio Romano, Executive Director of Operation Smile Philippines, the program aims to identify as many patients as possible in the region and offer free surgeries.
“With this surgical program, we want to find every child with cleft lip or palate and give them the opportunity for a free operation that could completely change their lives,” said Romano. “The surgery is short and comes at no cost to the families. We are targeting 90 to 100 surgeries over five days.”
In preparation, around 150 to 160 patients will be screened, as some may require additional nutrition support before they can undergo surgery.
Romano also shared that Operation Smile has been active for 42 years, regularly visiting different locations across the country. After Iloilo, the program will move to Marbel, Palawan, and Bacolod City before the year ends, with more locations planned for next year.
Watsons Philippines has been a key partner of Operation Smile for the past 10 years, with this year marking their 11th year of collaboration.
“At Watsons, we believe in bringing smiles to the faces of our customers, and this program aligns perfectly with that mission,” said Lexie Coloma, Watsons Philippines Senior Manager for Sustainability. “We are thrilled to be here in Iloilo, working with Qualimed to provide these surgeries to local children born with cleft conditions.”
The program will include 50 medical and non-medical volunteers across the Philippines to ensure comprehensive care for the patients. In addition to the surgery, medical kits will be provided for free to support post-operative care. A week after the surgery, Operation Smile Philippines will return for follow-up check-ups to ensure the children’s recovery is on track.
Operation Smile: Transforming Lives, One Smile at a Time!/PN
