UK Charity to Give Free Surgery to Vietnam Children with Facial Disfigurements

A group of doctors from “Facing the World,” a United Kingdom-based charity, will provide free surgery to some 70-80 Vietnamese children with facial disfigurements from April 6-16 in Viet Duc and Hong Ngoc hospitals in Hanoi, state media reported. Vietnam has been the charity’s top priority as the incidence of severe birth defects in the country is high and the country has faced adverse consequences from Agent Orange- Dioxin, said Dr. Niall Kirkpatrick, chairman and medical director of the organization. The charity first arrived in Vietnam on 2008, and its doctors have returned to the country every year to perform surgery for vulnerable children. The organization has helped Danang build a training center so that Vietnamese doctors could carry out craniofacial surgery on their own, Niall said. Founded in 2002 by craniofacial surgeons Martin Kelly and Norman Waterhouse, “Facing the World” has so far provided treatment for over 40 children in the UK and more than 90 through its Vietnam Project, according to the organization’s website. (hanoimoi.com.vn Apr 11)