Africa-Press – Mauritius. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to provide children born with cleft with a comprehensive and psychosocial care as well as to combat stigmatisation and discrimination against these children, was signed, yesterday, between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Smile Train Association at the seat of the Ministry in Port Louis.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Jaguptal reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to give the best possible care to children and adults who have cleft lip and cleft palate and commended the Smile Train Association for their assistance.
He observed that very often, families tend to isolate their children born with such deformities and consequently, these children do not get the best possible start in life.
He recalled that these deformities may be corrected to a certain degree through oral and maxillofacial surgery which is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery as well as facial cosmetic surgery.
Dr Jagutpal further pointed out that the Ministry, presently, has three Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons as well as an on-call service for the Oral Surgery Unit in four Regional Hospitals after normal working hours.
“We also currently employ four Orthodontists to address the diagnosis, prevention and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws and misaligned bite patterns and five Endodontists dealing with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of the dental pulp and the tissues surrounding the root of the tooth”, stated the Health Minister.
He also elaborated on the Ministry’s objective to register all new borns with cleft congenital deformities in the National Cleft Register; to evaluate patients with cleft congenital deformities in the Cleft Clinic by the team of specialists; and to provide medical and non-medical advice to parents with babies with cleft deformities, amongst others.
Referring to other initiatives, he pointed out that in August of this year, an eminent maxillofacial surgeon from Chennai, Professor Balaji, came to Mauritius to carry out a dozen of surgeries in Victoria Hospital to bring back a smile to those patients
The Smile Train Association is a member of the Worldwide Smile Train Association which is the largest cleft-focused organisation providing training, funding, and resources to empower medical professionals in more than 70 countries with free cleft surgery and other forms of essential cleft care.
The Association in Mauritius provides amongst others, free starter kits to newly cleft born babies and free non–medical advice and non-medical support to new parents on cleft lip and palate in terms of feeding, hygiene and good health of their babies.
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