MAPUTO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- An expert team from southwest China's Sichuan Province has provided free screening and reconstructive surgeries for Mozambican children with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial developmental deformities, bringing new hope to their lives.
The "Smile Journey" program was carried out by Chinese experts from West China Hospital of Stomatology of Sichuan University, who worked closely with medical staff at Maputo Central Hospital in the Mozambican capital of Maputo, completing 21 reconstructive surgeries as of Monday.
According to Chinese expert Zheng Qian, one of the patients, Alex Paulino, had a serious nasal deformity before surgery, with part of the nasal structure missing and the shape of the nose visibly affected. The team used nearby tissue to repair the affected area, improving the child's facial appearance and creating better conditions for further treatment.
Zheng said another young patient, Mila Nyeleti, had previously undergone surgery but continued to experience severe scarring and poor alignment of facial structures. The Chinese team performed a secondary repair to improve the shape of the lip and nose and make the overall facial appearance more coordinated.
"After the repair, the children's lip and nose shapes have been significantly improved," Zheng said.
Farida Algy Urci, director of Maputo Central Hospital, highlighted "Smile Journey" as an important project that brings dignity, health and hope to hundreds of Mozambican children with cleft lip, cleft palate and other congenital facial deformities, as well as to their families.
Vitoria da Graca Atanasio, head of the stomatology department at Maputo Central Hospital, said the Chinese expert team demonstrated a high level of professionalism, with the completed surgeries achieving good results.
"The Chinese team hopes that through cooperation with Mozambican colleagues, local children with cleft lip and palate can see further improvements in their appearance, speech and previous complications," Chinese expert Zheng said.
