North West : Regional Assembly Partners For Better Healthcare

Children and even adults born with all forms of cleft malformation in the North West Region will henceforth be treated free of charge at the Mbingo Baptist Hospital which is a partner health facility to Smile Train International Organisation. This was the news that filtered out of the partnership agreement signed between the Regional Assembly and Smile Train International Organisation which is the biggest charity organisation specialised in cleft operations.
Smile Train International Organisation has been in Cameroon since 2011 and currently partners with 10 hospitals in seven regions of the country where 3, 000 surgeries have so far been carried out. It emerged from the event that Mbingo Baptist Hospital has been doing a lot in this direction and patients across the region will henceforth benefit from these services free of charge. Also, the region will benefit from the expertise of Smile Train in the area of effective management, psychosocial support, speech therapy and other services around the disease. As stipulated in the agreement, children and adults will be screened and cases of cleft disorders will be referred for appropriate management and treatment at Mbingo Baptist Hospital. 
Speaking during the launching ceremony in Bamenda, Smile Train’s Programme Director for West and Central Africa, Bouba Nicole revealed that her institution has a vision of a world where everyone has access to quality and comprehensive health care and can live a happy and productive life.  She further revealed that more than 800 cleft births are recorded per year in Cameroon, which according to her, is a public health need to provide access to treatment, safe and quality comprehensive health care to all who are born with Cleft lip or palate.  
The President of the North West Regional Assembly, Prof...