The Cleft & Facial Deformity Foundation (CFDF) has called for public support for the building of Abuja Craniofacial Hospital for indigent Nigerians.
Facial deformities are a group of diseases that present not just with body pain, but immense psychological disturbance brought by social stigmatisation.
People affected with the diseases are socially dislocated, and have their potentials decimated, hence the need for special attention.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the ‘team 28’ free cleft and facial deformity surgery programme in Keffi, Nasarawa State, executive director of the foundation, Dr Seidu Bello, said the proposed Abuja Craniofacial Hospital was conceived as an hospital to offer free surgery to indigent patients with craniofacial diseases.
He said the land is located at Sabon Karshi, Nassarawa State, which is about one hour drive from Abuja city centre, adding that the approved plan of the building has been secured and some preliminary work has commenced.
“When completed, it comprises of administrative building, theatre, private ward as well as male and female wards. Estimated Cost of building of the hospital is about 1.2 billion naira ($1,000,000). The centre, which will be an advanced craniofacial centre, will provide needed access to comprehensive craniofacial surgery all over Africa and in addition will provide Research and Training.
“We hereby solicit for public support for the building of the hospital for the poor,” he said.
Speaking further, Dr. Bello said facial deformities can be divided into four, namely facial clefts (Cleft lip and Palate), Facial Tumor, Locked Jaw and noma.
He explained that all the deformities have one thing in common which is stigmatisation, decimation of children potential, societal dislocation and ‘children out of school syndrome.
The CFDF was conceived about 13 years ago to serve as a platform to proffer a Nigerian solution to Nigerian problem of facial deformity scourge by creating awareness and assisting the less privileged with free surgery.
It has in its fold a conglomerate of Nigerian volunteer professionals that are capable of carrying out surgeries on children and adults that are afflicted with facial deformities.
Dr. Bello said “Our journey in the past 13 years has been challenging and fulfilling. We have traversed various hospitals in FCT, Niger, Kogi, Taraba, Edo, Katsina, Oyo, Nassarawa and Delta States. We have succeeded in creating awareness about the scourge of facial deformities in various communities. We have operated on close to 4500 patients out of about 7000 patients in attendance.
“The present 28th edition has witnessed a massive turnout of patients with different kind of facial deformities. As at today, 75 patients have registered. We have operated on 12 while surgery continues for one week with a target of 50 patients. It is obvious that we cannot attend to everybody which is a wakeup call to the reality that the facial deformities are not rare.”
