By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
ILOILO City – The West Visayas State University Medidal Center (WVSUMC) in Jaro district is providing services to children with clubfeet, long considered as the single most common congenital birth defect, through its Department of Orthopedics and with the assistance of the North Carolina-based nonprofit organization Miraclefeet.
According to Dr. Benjamin Legada, head of WVSUMC’s Department of Orthopedics, the program covers children born with clubfeet within two weeks.
At this stage, Dr. Legarda explained, the chances of restoring the normal functions of the feet through surgical procedure are higher.
Aside from free consultation, he said they are also willing to provide fare and allowance to parents too poor to even bring their children affected with clubfoot to the hospital.
Based on current available data, one out of every 750 children born worldwide is born with clubfoot. That’s roughly one child every three minutes.
A clubfoot, also called congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), involves one foot or both feet appearing to have been rotated internally at the ankle.
Without proper treatment, many of these children walk only with great difficulty, making clubfoot one of the leading causes of permanent disability in the world.
However, with treatment, the vast majority of patients recover completely during early childhood and are able to walk and live normal lives, becoming productive members of their communities in the process.
Sadly, majority of children born with clubfoot in the developing world have little access to treatment and minimal financial resources.
This is what nonprofit organization Miraclefeet aims to resolve by supporting the treatment of children born with clubfoot in developing countries such as the Philippines.
Miraclefeet was created in 2008 by a group of concerned parents of clubfoot children and orthopedic surgeons who wanted to ensure that all children born with clubfoot had access to proper treatment.
It partners with local orthopedic surgeons working in public hospitals to establish and support clubfoot clinics within the existing public health system.
According to Miraclefeet program manager for Asia Ryan Calauor, at present here in the Philippines, their organization is supporting children in Cebu, Davao and Iloilo./PN
