Operation Smile Philippines Foundation (OSP) is setting up a new cleft care center at the Rosario Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Guagua, Pampanga after securing the latter’s agreement to allow the use of the hospital’s premises and facilities for the comprehensive treatment of children born with oral cleft by its medical and allied medical volunteers.
The agreement was signed recently by OSP executive director Emiliano Romano and RMH executive vice president Josephine M. Salvador.
OSP has been providing free reconstructive surgery, dental treatment, medical examination and speech therapy to children afflicted with cleft lip and cleft palate since 1982.
The procedures are carried out by highly trained and credentialed volunteer plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, dentists, nurses and speech pathologists
To date, they have treated over 30,000 patients with cleft condition all over the country through medical missions in partner hospitals or in OSP cleft care centers.
The cleft care center in RMH, a level 1 hospital, will be OSP’s third after the ones in Manila and Davao City.
“It will boost our capability to provide comprehensive cleft care year-round,” Mr. Romano said, adding that OSP had earlier inked an agreement with the Philippine National Police in Region 3 to scout for patients and transport them to treatment sites.
“We welcome the partnership with OSP especially since it will give our hospital staff training and volunteering opportunities that we think are essential for keeping our people sharp, motivated and in high spirits,” Ms. Salvador said.
