Operation Smile to bring smiles at KCH
Press Trust on Wednesday donated K12.5 million to Operation Smile to enable it perform surgeries on people with cleft mouths and cleft palates in Malawi.
About 200 people are expected to be operated on by the end of four days beginning Wednesday this week at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe.
Trustee of Press Trust, George Kayambo, said this is not the first time the trust was donating towards the surgeries as in two consecutive years it has been the biggest sponsor of Operation Smile.
Said Kayambo upon symbolically handing over the cheque to Operation Smile: “We are pledging our support for the next two years.”
Receiving the donation, Operation Smile regional manager for western and southern Africa, Sabrina Ghidi, said they were happy to restore smiles on people they operate on and hoped to receive more people from across the country.
She said Operation Smile intends to open an office in Malawi to facilitate registration of patients to help the organisation plan for more surgeries.
Kamuzu Central Hospital deputy director Lawrence Chiwaula said they are overwhelmed by the numbers of patients who are coming from across the country with the problem.
One of the beneficiaries, Bertha Mbamba, travelled all the way from Karonga with a son who has a cleft mouth and cleft palate and is hoping to have her son operated on soon.
