AKTH to resume free cleft surgery

The Cleft Team of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) will resume free cleft surgery on Saturday for children and adults with congenital or any abnormalities on the lips or upper jaw.  The Chairman of the AKTH Cleft Team, Dr Akinwale Adeyemi Efunkoya, a consultant maxillofacial surgeon, disclosed that the free cleft surgery started in […]

The Cleft Team of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) will resume free cleft surgery on Saturday for children and adults with congenital or any abnormalities on the lips or upper jaw. 

The Chairman of the AKTH Cleft Team, Dr Akinwale Adeyemi Efunkoya, a consultant maxillofacial surgeon, disclosed that the free cleft surgery started in 2018 where about 100 cases were attended to before the service was suspended due to some logistics problems. 

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He explained that during the period, surgery was conducted by the Dental and Maxillofacial surgeons as part of their routine activities, thus making it very difficult to reach out to many targeted patients. 

Dr Efunkoya said that the AKTH Cleft Team is one of the largest cleft teams established in Nigeria, that comprised 30 members drawn from different specialities and subspecialties in a particular hospital, among which are otolaryngologists, paediatricians, social workers, orthodontists, child dentists, dental nurses, public relations officer, and as work continues, the team is going to be expanded to include nutritionists, dietetics and social mobilisation officers. 

Also speaking with Kano/Jigawa Chronicle, the spokesperson of the AKTH, Hauwa Abdullahi, confirmed that 10 patients had already been booked after passing screening and evaluation tests and that their surgery would be conducted on Saturday. 

In a related development, the Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kano State chapter, Dr Usman Ali, said doctors in the state would offer free medical services to rural communities in various parts of the state. 

Speaking on the activities earmarked to commemorate this year’s annual Physicians’ Week, Dr Ali said the services would cover free surgical services for people with sight complications, hypertension as well as other related diseases.