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Surgeon that has patched up 502 clefts
<With free medicare, medic turns around faces of deformed patients
By JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE
Medical practitioners are generally, and most times erroneously, believed to be stonehearted. This perception is derived from the way many of them, especially the females, relate to their patients.
With this in mind, it becomes exciting when an exceptionall one is found among them. That is the case of Dr. Seidu Bello, a facial surgeon with the State House Medical Center, Abuja.
Besides his tedious official duty, Bello is currently impacting positively on the lives of the poor. He has been giving hope and putting smiles on the face of children whose parents had given up and accepted their fate that the wards will live and die with the condition they are born with.
As at the last count, no fewer than 502 patients have benefitted from the free surgery outreach conducted by the Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation in parts of the country between 2010 and 2014.
Bello, who is the Director of the foundation, in chance encounter with Abuja Metro, said he has infected his entire family with his passion of helping the poor; hence it is not uncommon to find is immediate family among those giving help during such outreaches. He said the beneficiaries are part of close to a million patients recorded nationwide.
Like every other humanitarian activity embarked upon, the challenge has been fund. Bello is lucky to have like minds that have agreed to join him in the medical mission, which has taken him and his team to 11 hospitals within and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Keffi, Nasarawa Eggon, Lafia in Nasarawa State, as well as Minna, Niger State.
The only state that has supported the foundation is Kogi, when the medical mission landed in the state last June.
Bello told Abuja Metro that in the first four programmes, adult cleft was predominant with an average of 14.2 years, disclosing that at the last edition of the outreach at Kuje, FCT, the oldest cleft lip patient was three years.
“This is at par with the rest of the world where cleft surgery is essentially for the children,” he said.
However, the director said that the exercise recorded significant reduction of adult cleft in and around the FCT.
According to Bello, 40 per cent of the patients who attended the programmes are affected by facial tumours and some cannot open their mouth.
“Many of the cases are handled, while some cannot be handled in the present set up.
“However arrangement could be made for their treatment within Nigeria if the funds are available,” he explained.
Bello advised parents of children born with the opening at the roof of the mouth to repair the abnormality within two years from birth to allow the development of speech.
He added that facial cleft occurs as a result of disturbances of growth between five and 12 weeks life of a fetus.
“The disturbance could be genetic or environmental factors, including radiation, malnutrition or drugs infection,” he said.
He also advised parents to ensure proper treatment of ear diseases during infancy, which could lead to inability to open the mouth (Temporo Mandibular Joint Ankkylosis).
He added that early detection and treatment of facial tumours or facial swelling will help the patient to live a normal life devoid of psychological disturbance.
With this in mind, it becomes exciting when an exceptionall one is found among them. That is the case of Dr. Seidu Bello, a facial surgeon with the State House Medical Center, Abuja.
Besides his tedious official duty, Bello is currently impacting positively on the lives of the poor. He has been giving hope and putting smiles on the face of children whose parents had given up and accepted their fate that the wards will live and die with the condition they are born with.
As at the last count, no fewer than 502 patients have benefitted from the free surgery outreach conducted by the Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation in parts of the country between 2010 and 2014.
Bello, who is the Director of the foundation, in chance encounter with Abuja Metro, said he has infected his entire family with his passion of helping the poor; hence it is not uncommon to find is immediate family among those giving help during such outreaches. He said the beneficiaries are part of close to a million patients recorded nationwide.
Like every other humanitarian activity embarked upon, the challenge has been fund. Bello is lucky to have like minds that have agreed to join him in the medical mission, which has taken him and his team to 11 hospitals within and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Keffi, Nasarawa Eggon, Lafia in Nasarawa State, as well as Minna, Niger State.
The only state that has supported the foundation is Kogi, when the medical mission landed in the state last June.
Bello told Abuja Metro that in the first four programmes, adult cleft was predominant with an average of 14.2 years, disclosing that at the last edition of the outreach at Kuje, FCT, the oldest cleft lip patient was three years.
“This is at par with the rest of the world where cleft surgery is essentially for the children,” he said.
However, the director said that the exercise recorded significant reduction of adult cleft in and around the FCT.
According to Bello, 40 per cent of the patients who attended the programmes are affected by facial tumours and some cannot open their mouth.
“Many of the cases are handled, while some cannot be handled in the present set up.
“However arrangement could be made for their treatment within Nigeria if the funds are available,” he explained.
Bello advised parents of children born with the opening at the roof of the mouth to repair the abnormality within two years from birth to allow the development of speech.
He added that facial cleft occurs as a result of disturbances of growth between five and 12 weeks life of a fetus.
“The disturbance could be genetic or environmental factors, including radiation, malnutrition or drugs infection,” he said.
He also advised parents to ensure proper treatment of ear diseases during infancy, which could lead to inability to open the mouth (Temporo Mandibular Joint Ankkylosis).
He added that early detection and treatment of facial tumours or facial swelling will help the patient to live a normal life devoid of psychological disturbance.
What is cleft
He said Facial Deformities are group of diseases that present not just with body pain, but immense psychological disturbance brought by social stigmatization. Affected people are socially dislocated, have their potentials decimated, hence special attention is needed.
From our experience, facial deformities could be divided into three:
Facial clefts (Cleft lip and Palate); openings on the lip and palate. Patients are born with the condition (congenital defects). In most cases, causes are unknown but occasionally genetics and some environmental factors could be responsible.
Facial Tumour: Refers to various facial swellings that can occur. They are acquired and the causes are unknown in most cases. This occurs at all ages.
Locked Jaw (temporo mandibular joint) Ankylosis} refers to the inability to open the mouth. It usually occurs as a result of ear infection in infancy that spreads from the ear to the joint.
It could also be due to trauma to the joint in infancy.
All these entities have one thing in common: stigmatization, decimation of children potential, societal dislocation and ‘children out of school syndrome.’
He said Facial Deformities are group of diseases that present not just with body pain, but immense psychological disturbance brought by social stigmatization. Affected people are socially dislocated, have their potentials decimated, hence special attention is needed.
From our experience, facial deformities could be divided into three:
Facial clefts (Cleft lip and Palate); openings on the lip and palate. Patients are born with the condition (congenital defects). In most cases, causes are unknown but occasionally genetics and some environmental factors could be responsible.
Facial Tumour: Refers to various facial swellings that can occur. They are acquired and the causes are unknown in most cases. This occurs at all ages.
Locked Jaw (temporo mandibular joint) Ankylosis} refers to the inability to open the mouth. It usually occurs as a result of ear infection in infancy that spreads from the ear to the joint.
It could also be due to trauma to the joint in infancy.
All these entities have one thing in common: stigmatization, decimation of children potential, societal dislocation and ‘children out of school syndrome.’
Why the foundation was formed
The Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation was conceived about five years ago to serve as platform to proffer a Nigerian solution to Nigerian problem of facial deformity scourge by creating awareness and assisting the less privileged affected with free surgery.
It has in its fold a conglomerate of FCT and surrounding state-based volunteer professionals that are capable of carrying out surgeries on children and adults that are afflicted with facial deformities. The organization started with focus on facial clefts but has since expanded operations to cover all facial deformities, and hence the change of name from Cleft Care Foundation Nigeria.
The Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation was conceived about five years ago to serve as platform to proffer a Nigerian solution to Nigerian problem of facial deformity scourge by creating awareness and assisting the less privileged affected with free surgery.
It has in its fold a conglomerate of FCT and surrounding state-based volunteer professionals that are capable of carrying out surgeries on children and adults that are afflicted with facial deformities. The organization started with focus on facial clefts but has since expanded operations to cover all facial deformities, and hence the change of name from Cleft Care Foundation Nigeria.
The aim and objectives include to sensitize the Nigerian populace about the scourge of Cleft lip and Palate as well as other facial deformities in the society.
Five-year journey
Dr. Bello said his team had traversed 12 hospitals within and around the FCT including Kuje, Kwali, Bwari, Karshi, Lafia, Minna and Lokoja in Nassarawa, Niger and Kogi states.
We have succeeded in creating awareness about the scourge of facial deformities in various communities. We have operated on 525 out of over 840 patients in attendance. One significant experience is the drastic reduction of adult cleft in and around FCT.
In the first four programmes, adult cleft was predominant with an average of 14.2 years. However at the last edition in the FCT, apart from one isolated 30-year-old, the oldest cleft lip patient was three years, bringing us at par with the rest of the world where cleft surgery is essentially for the children.
Collaborating with Kogi
For the first time in the life of the foundation and collective fight against the scourge of facial deformity in Nigeria, Kogi State was the first state government to collaborate with it to fight the scourge.
Bello linked this to the belief of the governor in rural surgery programmes. “I was reliably informed that Kogi State under the governor’s watch has been involved in such activities. It has been difficult to have Nigerians taking over the sponsorship of this programme.
“It is on record that in the past 12 editions of the programme, only two enjoyed major sponsorship by private individuals thereby limiting the frequency of the outreach programme. This collaboration with Kogi State government will open a new vista in the fight.
There is no doubt that there is no free food even in Freetown, running of our organization requires money. The organization was conceived following our belief that government cannot solve all Nigerian problems, however collaboration with governments of Nigeria will hasten the rate of reaching out to different communities.
I therefore urge NGOs and government bodies to emulate the Kogi State government, so that we can continue to render these services around the nation.
Dr. Bello said his team had traversed 12 hospitals within and around the FCT including Kuje, Kwali, Bwari, Karshi, Lafia, Minna and Lokoja in Nassarawa, Niger and Kogi states.
We have succeeded in creating awareness about the scourge of facial deformities in various communities. We have operated on 525 out of over 840 patients in attendance. One significant experience is the drastic reduction of adult cleft in and around FCT.
In the first four programmes, adult cleft was predominant with an average of 14.2 years. However at the last edition in the FCT, apart from one isolated 30-year-old, the oldest cleft lip patient was three years, bringing us at par with the rest of the world where cleft surgery is essentially for the children.
Collaborating with Kogi
For the first time in the life of the foundation and collective fight against the scourge of facial deformity in Nigeria, Kogi State was the first state government to collaborate with it to fight the scourge.
Bello linked this to the belief of the governor in rural surgery programmes. “I was reliably informed that Kogi State under the governor’s watch has been involved in such activities. It has been difficult to have Nigerians taking over the sponsorship of this programme.
“It is on record that in the past 12 editions of the programme, only two enjoyed major sponsorship by private individuals thereby limiting the frequency of the outreach programme. This collaboration with Kogi State government will open a new vista in the fight.
There is no doubt that there is no free food even in Freetown, running of our organization requires money. The organization was conceived following our belief that government cannot solve all Nigerian problems, however collaboration with governments of Nigeria will hasten the rate of reaching out to different communities.
I therefore urge NGOs and government bodies to emulate the Kogi State government, so that we can continue to render these services around the nation.
Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/new/surgeon-that-has-patched-up-502-clefts
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