By M Irfan Ali: Prof Dr Zubair Abbasi, Chairman, CLAFT Welfare Trust, the other day revealed that the cleft lips and cleft palate cases are quite common in the rural areas of Sindh and are reported generally from low-income groups of society. Prof Dr Zubair Abbasi is a specialist in the treatment of cleft lips & cleft palate – a field which is generally short of specialist. CL&CP cases, though common, especially in the countryside, yet receive less all no treatment as those suffering from the malady are mostly those belonging to the very low income group can hardly think of seeking treatment. It is this plight and help lessens of the people that Prof. Zubair Abbasi was led to form and association/ trust that would engage in providing free treatment to those needing it. It is totally a humanitarian cause in the services of those of helpless and hapless community. Prof Zubair expressed these views while talking the media persons at the launching ceremony of free operation & treatment of cleft lip and cleft palate at Saifee hospital. According to him CLAFT Welfare Trust and Saifee Hospital Trust Karachi for the first time in the country’s history, have joined hands to provide treatment and operation facilities free of cost, to children with cleft lip and palate. He explained that malnutrition, smoking, vitamins deficiency and socio-economic problems are the major reasons behind the occurrence of such cases in rural areas of the province as well as other parts of Pakistan. Acute shortage of institutions at government level to treating such patients, adds further to the problems. So, the launching of the cleft lip & cleft palate treatment and operation is aim at providing state-of-the-art facilities to poor patients under one roof, and also because treatment of cleft lips & cleft palate is very costly and poor people could hardly afford its treatment. Surgery of cleft lips & palate needs team works.
Prof Zubair said there is dire need of generating awareness among general public and proper diet for pregnant mothers to avoid such issues. “Prevention is better than Cure” because there is no institution of public level in the province to handle such cases. Dr Arzoo Azeem also said that ratio of occurrence of cleft lip & palate cases is currently two to every 1,000 live births. She said cousin marriages, environment and malnutrition of mothers are cause of diseases like cleft lips, cleft palates in newborn babies. She further said treatment of children with cleft lip & palate requires team work and this is hardly available in public institutions. Team of specialists like maxillofacial surgeon, plastic surgeon, ENT, psychiatrist, dentist and speech therapist is needed while performing surgery of clip lip and palate patients. Chief gust member National Assembly, Rehan Hashmi views the CLAFT Welfare Trust as having started a noble work and that must be appreciated. Need of creating awareness at public level about the issue is a must. Gust of honor Dr Saif Ur Rehman, Deputy Commissioner District Central Karachi apprehended people with cleft lip & palate may face socio-psycho problems. He said Pakistan has missed the target of preventive vaccination so there is the dire need of expanding the scope of vaccination in the society. Brigadier (R) Dr Ahmed Rashid, Chief Executive Officer, Saifee Hospital Trust, also spoke on the occasion stating that Saifee Hospital is expanding its extent and strength to cover more welfare services to the patients coming to the hospital for treatment. A multi tenanted personality Dr Areeba Alvi, also a team member of the CLAFT Welfare Trust She moderate the event with highly sprit and said that incidence of the congenital anomaly Cleft Member Provincial Assembly Jamal Ahmed, Dr Aqeel Shaikh, head of KMDC dental hospital and Prof. Dr Farhat Jafry were also present on this occasion as special gust. A multi-talented personality Dr Areeba Alvi, a team member of the CLAFT Welfare Trust, moderated the event with high spirit, saying that incidence of the congenital Cleft lip and Cleft Palate has decreased to zero percent in Central District. A lady of child bearing age in her first trimester should seek special care at the time when fetal facial development is in process. Taking teratogenic drugs, viral infections to a pregnant lady, hypoxia can lead to production of Cleft lip & Cleft Palate in baby. She further said that its very difficult to inform parents that the child has taken girth with such congenital anomaly. With a vote of thanks the program came to end.
