A new venture has started between CLEFT and the Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery In Sulaimania, the Kurdish region of Iraq to help develop multidisciplinary care for children born with cleft lip and palate and associated conditions.
Initially, this collaboration would primarily be to teach and train the surgeons and hospital staff. There is one speech therapist who is only able to work for one day in the cleft centre so this is one area that CLEFT could make a difference in. CLEFT may also be able to assist in providing equipment and teaching material.
Brian Sommerlad recently returned from his tenth visit to the cleft centre in Sulaimania in the Kurdish region of Iraq where he was able to attend the unveiling of the new operating microscope, donated by CLEFT. Read more
CLEFT recently purchased an important piece of equipment called a C-Arm, for the cleft centre in Sulaimania, thanks to a very generous donation by a private donor. The C-Arm records the function of the palate where it is not functioning properly, either after cleft palate repair or in some people who have not had a cleft. This helps the speech and language therapists and surgeons to make decisions on treatment. Read more
CLEFT chairman, Brian Sommerlad, has visited Sulaimania in the Kurdish region of Iraq every year since 2012. He works with the local team in the Emergency Hospital where progress is being made all the time. Dr Luqman and Dr Shaxawan are pictured here at the entrance to the new clinic. Read more
Sulaimania's troubled past means that there are many children and adults with untreated clefts or with clefts that have been operated on inadequately. Click the link above to read further and watch our new film by Paul Whittaker to see what the situation is there and how the team copes. Read more
CLEFT has recently been involved with visiting the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan where conditions such as cleft lip and palate have been neglected in recent years. Read more