Tens of children with cleft lip or palate from less privileged families in Embu have benefited from free reconstructive surgery organised by the Kenya Progressive Nurses Association in conjunction with the county health department. The diagnosis and corrective surgeries being carried out at Embu Level Five Hospital are part of the association’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative ahead of its annual scientific conference to be held in the county next week, November 7-9. The exercise is scheduled to take five days, and the association plans to treat over 50 children, according to National Chair Michael Nyongesa. A cleft lip is a tear or a gap in the upper lip, while a cleft palate is a gap in the roof of the mouth. These are said to be the most common birth defects in Kenya. Speaking Thursday during the launch of the exercise presided over by Deputy Governor Kinyua Mugo, Nyongesa said this was a practice they had embraced every year before their annual conference. ‘We are here to ensure we return a smile to some babies here in the county and rid them of a future of stigma and rejection,’ he said. He urged members of the public to be informed of the exercise and also inform families of children who need the surgery to take advantage of the free surgery. The DG lauded the initiative, saying it was set to give hope, confidence, and dignity to kids with such conditions, as well as alleviate the suffering of families unable to foot the surgery bill. He also announced plans to employ more doctors and nurses to enhance service delivery across all the health facilities in the county. ‘We are in the process of hiring 80 nurses, and before the end of this financial year, we will double that number to ensure we have enough medical personnel in all the health care facilities,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency