Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The First Lady of Edo State, Dr. Betsy Obaseki has called for more collaboration from well-meaning individuals and organizations to offer medical services and free surgeries to people suffering from different ailments across the country.
Mrs. Obaseki made this appeal during her visit to recipients of the Smile Train Free Cleft Lip and Palate surgeries at the Edo Specialist Hospital (ESH).
Expressing her satisfaction with the professionalism and quality of work provided by the Smile Train team and the staff of ESH, she emphasized the importance of awareness, stating, “When people don’t know about something, there is no way they can offer their support and help.
“This initiative is not just about carrying out interventions but also creating awareness to let people know that there are many around us who have these problems but are hiding due to a lack of means or support for corrective surgeries.”
She urged those with resources, including medical professionals who are dedicated to missionary work, to offer their support.
The Lead Consultant of the Smile Train team reported that twenty individuals showed up for the surgeries, with eighteen procedures successfully completed. The remaining patients are being prepared for their surgeries.
She also revealed a plan for Smile Train, in collaboration with ESH, to establish the hospital as a dedicated center for free cleft lip and palate surgeries.
She said “despite the fact that we are ending today, the program is not ending. They can always come, the front desk is already equipped on how to handle them. We can always keep doing these surgeries periodically”.
Recipients of the surgeries expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the management of the hospital, Smile Train, and Her Excellency Betsy Obaseki for making this life-changing initiative possible.
“The day I brought her here, the way her face was looking, I was not really happy. But thank God they did the surgery and everything went went well. I am grateful to the Wife of the Governor and the doctors for the privilege giving to us to partake from the surgeries.”
Mrs Oise said “Yes my baby is okay. The surgery was successful and she came out looking better and finer than the way she was. You know, the worries and tension preceding the surgeries has disappeared.”
This collaborative effort highlights the ongoing commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes for those in need within Edo State and beyond.