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Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar as part of his social responsibility and giving back to the society , under the auspices of Maizube farm Nig. Limited Minna, Niger state in collaboration with Cleft Foundation a team of Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons based in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory put smiles on the faces of some some ordinary citizens across the state and its environs who were born with cleft palate, cleft lips, locked jaws , a strange growth on either their chests, throats and upper lips among others were recently assembled at the Ibrahim Babangida Specialized Hospital in Minna, the state capital and performed successful surgeries on about 51 of such patients free of charge . At the conclusion of the programme, the patents were for a life time separated from their life threatening ailments and stigmatization for which they would not have been able to afford the cost of the Operations. Olabode Adaramola bring Excerpt:
No fewer than about 51 people with facial deformities which include little children and adults males and females across Niger State can now heave a sigh of relief, following their successful surgeries by a team of Medical experts from Cleft& Facial Deformity Foundation led by Dr. Seidu Adebayo Bello, a Consultant Maillafcial Surgeon/Implamtologist recently .
The successful operations carried out on the patients by the Foundation members , that took place at one of the Theatres of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialized Hospital in Minna, the state capital, was in collaboration with a former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalam A.Abubakar {rtd}l through his Firm, Maizube Nig. Ltd.
Facial deformities, according to a Director/ Founder of the Foundation , Dr. Seidu Adebayo Bello, is a group of diseases that present not just with body pains, but immense Psychological disturbance brought by social stigmatization, adding that it affected people that are socially dislocated as well as have their potentials decimated, hence they need special attention.
Speaking further in an interaction with some select journalists at the weeklong programme, Dr. Bello says from his experience that facial deformities could be categorized into three: namely: Facial cleft such as {cleft lip and palate like openings on the lip and palate, stressing. That patients were usually born with the condition.
He stated further that in most cases the causes were unknown, noting that occasionally ,genetics and some environmental factors could be responsible, while identifying another form of facial deformity as Facial Tumor , which refers to various facial swellings that can occur in the patient. He highlighted t5hat they are acquired while the causes are also unknown in most cases pointing out that they occur at all ages.
The Surgeon also explained that another form of facial deformity is called Locked Jaw {TMJ {Temporo mandibular joint} or Ankylosis , saying this refers to inability of the patient to open his or her mouth
“It usually occurs as a result of ear infection in infancy that spread from the ear to the joint It could also be due to trauma to the joint in infancy “ he stated
He however noted that all these diseases or entities have one thing in common such as stigmatization, decimation of children potentials, societal dislocation and children out of school. Syndrome.
One Mr. Isah Useni, Zonal Education Officer, Mokwa Local Government of the state and parent to a 12- year old Amina Isah Lwaful a cleft palate patient who was operated successfully of her ailment says on the day the young girl was born by her mother that after the delivery that he noticed that the girl was born with the medical problem and he could not control his emotions as burst into tears.
He stated this in a brief interview with our reporter, adding that on the fateful day, he took the little Baby to a hospital at Ilorin, Kwara State capital for medical examination and treatment.
But on my arrival at the hospital 12 years ago, I was referred to the General Hospital, Ilorin. Initially, we were to go to Illa Memorial Medical Centre near Ilorin river. On getting there, the Medical Consultant expressed his happiness for seeing the little baby girl in the hospital and he said it was a small medical work that required only N200, 000 as the cost of the treatment. I paid the medical bill of my little Daughter and the Doctors commenced the operation”.
Mr. Useni stated further that he and his child spent about 65 days at the hospital without much success after which the hospital management requested for an additional N250, 000 for the correction of one other medical challenge in the mouth of the little Amina.
He however said that he had to return home in Mokwa with the little girl, because he said he could not source for the huge sums of money because of his meager salary.
“But recently when I heard about Cleft &Facial Deformity Foundation, I rushed here {IBB Specialized hospital, Minna and they examined my Daughter when I brought her to them and thank God they did it successfully and I am happy they did it very well and I am grateful to them because they did not charge me any fee and I wish them well”, said the elated father.
Similarly, another patient, Miss Edith Simon who had a swollen object on her upper lip could also not hot hide her joy as she spoke with our reporter at the hospital premises where the patients were gathered.
According to the w23-year olds HND 11, Micro Biology student of the Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru, in Wushishi local Government of the state, the strange object had been on her lip for so many years now.
According to her , I had a swollen on my lips , though it was not paining me but I used to feel intimidated and people were always asking me questions about it whenever I went out. In fact people will be asking me questions if it occurred because I fell down until I met with the Director/ Chairman, Cleft & Facial Deformity Foundation, Dar. Seidu Adebayo Bello at a branch of one of the new generation Banks in Minna when I went to make a withdrawal at the bank’s ATM centre recently.
“And he invited me to come for a free surgery at IBB Specialized hospital Minna , I obliged him by honouring the invitation and I am happy that I came here , that was all,” she stated.
Another patient whose cleft palate has been successfully operated upon is an 8-year old Master Madi Adamu, from Zaria, Kaduna state as he has succeeded in opening his mouth, while Lawal Musa, 26- year old was having Mouth Tumour before he was successfully operated upon and he is now feeling better and recovering from the operation by the Cleft& Facial Deformity Foundation.
Also, a 24-year old Miss Frida Alhaji Mohammed, AN Indigene of Kontagora LAOCAL Government of the state is one of the lucky patients. Prior to her undergoing surgery, nobody had been able to see her tong before because she cannot open her mouth as a result of her locked jaws which has been successfully operated upon recently by the team of Experts from the Foundation.
Of particular interest is another 21 –year old patient, Miss Sumaiya Illyasu of Kaduna road, London Street, Minna. According to the girl who is a 2015/ 2016, graduate of Economics /Social Studies of the Federal College of Education, Kontagora,, for four years now I have had a strange growth on my neck and shoulders and it had given me a lot of concern and embarrassment that I have had to cover my neck and shoulder in an awkward manner as well as bending my neck to a particular area in an attempt to hide the shame it was giving me.
“But thank God I have been operated upon on the neck free of charge and it only remains that of my shoulder to be operated upon and as a result I have to book an appointment with Dar. Seidu Bello for a discussion on hoe to remove the strange object on my shoulders”, she said.
But in his quick reaction, Dr. Bello said a ball in the form of a tumour was brought out from the patient’s neck and when you think that the patients were not complaining over their medical problems, may be they are just resigning to fate, describing facial deformities as a very big problem
He stated further that the patients are in contacts with him and members of his Foundation , adding that two months from the time of the operation that there is going to be a review of all the cases so far treated , while advising the patients to all come back with the view to see see how their healing have been.
“And if anybody has complain I will personally attend to it. And this programme is a collaboration with a former Head of State, General Abdulsalam A. Abubakar and the treatments are very expensive and we are looking for more people And organizations to collaborate with , including the Niger state government and other corporate organizations in the state”, he said.
He noted that the recent programmes of the Foundation at the IBB Specialized Hospital in Minna , in collaboration with MNaizube Nigeria Limited , owned by a former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalam A. Abubakar {rtd} was the 16th edition of such prograamme in parts of the country, highlighting that it witnessed a massive turnout of patients with different kind of facial deformities.
“As at the today , 101 patients have registered . We have operated on 51. It is obvious that we cannot attend to everybody, describing it as a wakeup call to the reality that t5he facial deformities are not rare”
Dr. Bello enumerated some of the objectives of the Cleft & Facial Deformities Foundation as follows; To sensitize Nigerian populace about the scourge of CLP as well as other facial deformities in the larger society , including assisting the predominantly poor victims of the courge or other patients Iin the repairs of the facial deformities, pointing out that only foreigners have shown interest so far in this respect.
Speaking further, he said the Foundation also aimed at promoting research in the field of CLP, as well as establishing good data base and assisting in training and joining similar organizations all over the world in improving quality care
In addition to the fore going he said the foundation is also planning to establish deformity hospital in Nigeria for a free care for the less privileged members of the society .
Dr. Bello stated further that his foundation has succeeded in creating awareness about the scourge of facial deformities in various communities across the country, , saying we have operated 622 out of over 900 patients in attendance .
Accordingly he said, one significant experience by him and his team of experts is that there has been drastic reduction of adult cleft in and around the Federal Capital TERRITORY, Abuja, stressing that apart from one isolated 30 year- old patient, that the oldest cleft lip patient at the FCT was 3- year old that the oldest patient was 3 years old thereby bringing the nation at par with the rest of the world where Cleft surgeries is essentially for the children.
In fact today is unique in the life of the foundation and collective fight against the scourge of facial deformity in Nigeria. Collaboration with a former Nigeria Nigerian Leader, GAeneral Abdulsalam Abubakar for the second time could be seen as an endorsement of our capability and genuineness about the project. General Abudulsalam sponsored the 4th edition of the programme here in Minna in 2011 where a total of 62 patients benefited from reconstructive surgery.
He however confessed that it has been difficult to have Nigerians taking over the sponsorship of the programme, while it was on record that in the past 15 editions of the programme that only five of the programmes had enjoyed major sponsorship by government and private individuals, thereby limiting the frequency of the outreach programme.
