For their smiles only

Two-year-old Nusrat Jannat was born with a cleft lip. Her father Monir Miah, a car driver, could not afford to arrange for reconstructive surgery on her lips.

Thanks to US-based non-government organisation Rotaplast Mission, little Nusrat is now all smiles after a successful surgery by a group of the finest surgeons, and that too completely free of cost.

The 7th Rotaplast Mission to Bangladesh conducted reconstructive surgeries for 67 children, including Nusrat, and two adults, to help them get their smiles back. 

The 29-member mission brought in 12 doctors, six nurses, a therapist, and a Covid-19 safety officer to Bangladesh from the US, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, and Egypt, who volunteered for the good deed.

Rotaplast International has been working to provide free surgical care to children born with cleft lips and palates for the last 30 years.

In Bangladesh, Chevron Bangladesh has been supporting the mission since 2013 under its social investment initiatives.

This year, the mission was organised by the Rotary Club of Jalalabad in Sylhet, while Sylhet Women's Medical College Hospital arranged for the surgeries.

Earlier, four such missions were completed in Sylhet since 2014.

Since January 23, the mission conducted a total 68 cleft lip and palate surgeries and one burn deformity surgery for free.

Like Nusrat, Siddika Begum, 5, also had cleft lip surgery conducted under the mission.

Her father Siraj Uddin, a farmer, said, "We are very happy to see her smiling after this successful surgery done by foreign surgeons for free."

Foysol Ahmed, 24, was injured in a fire incident in Saudi Arabia. Since he was not a listed labourer there, he was not compensated accordingly.

The mission conducted his burn deformity surgery for free too.

"Such surgeries usually cost Tk 50,000 to Tk 1 lakh. The mission offered the surgeries for free to people in dire need," said mission coordinator Dr Monzurul Hoque Choudhury.

"The true heroes are the volunteers who travelled to a country they have never been to before and offered life-changing surgeries to children they might not meet in future. Also, thanks to the sponsor and others for supporting the great cause," said Kenneth J Funk, mission director.

Muhammad Imrul Kabir, director (corporate affairs), Chevron Bangladesh, said, "These reconstructive surgeries are truly lifechanging, providing the patients an opportunity to lead normal lives and reach their full potential. We are proud to support this cause through our social investment initiatives."