TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Philip Chen (陳國鼎), director of plastic surgery for children at Taipei Medical University Hospital, will perform two reconstructive surgeries scheduled for Saturday and December on a five-year-old boy from Madagascar with a severe cleft lip and palate.
National Taiwan University Hospital said that cleft lip and palate occur in around one out of every 1,000 fetuses. Most cases are sporadic and not directly related to the mother's behavior during pregnancy. In many cases, the condition can be detected through prenatal screening as early as the 14th week of gestation.
The Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps said that medical resources in Madagascar are severely limited. The group helped the boy and his mother travel to Taiwan on Tuesday and arranged their accommodation and a translator to assist them during their stay, per CNA.
The group noted the boy's condition is too complex to be treated in Madagascar. His severely exposed teeth make it difficult for him to eat.
The hospital will waive his medical expenses and hopes the effort will showcase Taiwan's medical expertise and humanitarian spirit.
In 2016, the group collaborated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CPC Corp. to bring two girls from Chad, Patricia and Sylvienne, to Taiwan for surgery. Patricia had hand contracture and finger adhesions from burn injuries, while Sylvienne had a cleft lip and palate.
The surgeries were performed by Chen, who was then working at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The hospital also waived all medical expenses for both girls.
The Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps provides free medical services to residents in remote areas of Taiwan and conducts overseas medical missions in developing countries. It has also partnered with Peace Winds Japan and the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia to deliver aid in underserved regions.
