Operation Smile South Africa is calling on families of children aged six months to 12 years born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate to come forward for screening and assessment for possible access to free, safe surgery and comprehensive cleft care at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH) in Johannesburg this May.
In a continued effort to reduce the backlog of cleft lip and palate surgeries in Gauteng, Operation Smile and Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH), with key support from Life Healthcare, will deliver an intensive weekend surgical programme providing life-changing surgeries for up to 40 children, while simultaneously transferring specialist skills and knowledge to surgical trainees. The surgical weekend will take place from 29 to 31 May 2026.
“Cleft conditions can affect a child’s ability to eat, speak, hear and breathe, however, timely surgery can significantly improve health outcomes and open the door to a very different future,” says Sarah Scarth, Executive Director of Operation Smile South Africa, which has, over the past 20 years, partnered with government and health institutions across the country to provide thousands of free surgeries to children and young adults with cleft conditions. “Families are encouraged to get in touch with us ahead of the screening day on Friday 29 May.”
As this programme is hosted at the children’s hospital, only children under the age of 12 will be screened. However, Operation Smile encourages cleft patients and families of all ages to make contact so the team can provide support and remain connected for future opportunities
Specialist teams, hospital collaboration and patient care pathway
According to Scarth, a specialist team of 50 Operation Smile medical volunteers – including cleft surgeons, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, nurses, dentists, speech therapists, psychologists, medical records and patient imaging technicians – will travel from across South Africa to Johannesburg to collaborate with the specialist paediatric clinical team at NMCH. Together, they will provide life-changing cleft surgery for around 40 children while supporting the transfer of critical skills that contribute to building local cleft surgical capacity.
“At NMCH, our mission is inspired by Nelson Mandela’s deep love for children and his belief in their right to live and thrive,” says Dr Nkuli Boikhutso, CEO of Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. “This initiative reflects our commitment to family-centred, evidence-based care and the power of collaboration to change lives.” Children will undergo a comprehensive medical assessment at NMCH ahead of surgery, with patient safety as the top priority and suitability for surgery carefully determined for each child. Working to the highest medical standards, the Operation Smile and NMCH teams will perform surgeries over the weekend. Following surgery, young patients and their caregivers will remain at the Operation Smile Patient Village until their final post-operative assessment and discharge.
Each young patient, accompanied by their parent or guardian, will receive compassionate care, free of charge, all made possible by the generosity of the programme’s partners. One of the programme’s key partners is Life Healthcare. Its Chief People Officer, Avanthi Parboosing, will join the team on the ground in support of the surgical weekend. She says: “Every child deserves the chance to smile, speak and feel they belong – without ridicule or judgement.”
Understanding cleft conditions and the care journey
Whilst South Africa’s public healthcare system is designed to treat patients with cleft conditions, in many areas it remains chronically under-resourced, leaving children and families waiting months or even years for care.
Without timely surgical intervention, children with cleft conditions face serious and debilitating long-term health issues, developmental delays and the risk of social isolation and bullying.
Although research into the causes of cleft lip and palate is not conclusive, genetics and family history, pre-existing medical conditions, poor nutrition and exposure to harmful substances may affect the healthy development of an unborn baby. Depending on the cleft condition, a child typically requires multiple surgeries throughout their childhood, as well as speech therapy and dental treatment. Psychosocial support is also crucial to support the child and family throughout their journey to seek complete care.
“Alongside the dedication of volunteers, we are deeply grateful for the generosity of donors and the commitment of our partners, which make this work possible,” says Scarth. “Financial contributions and strategic partnerships ensure we can continue delivering safe, high-quality surgical care and expanding access to treatment for more patients each year.”
As part of the broader network of support behind the programme, the Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton will once again provide a home base for the volunteers during their stay in Johannesburg.“At Radisson Blu Sandton, we are honoured to be part of this journey of healing. Supporting the wellbeing of the Operation Smile team while they perform life-changing work is a privilege,” said Stefan Lourens, General Manager of Radisson Blu Sandton.
Families wishing to come forward for screening and assessment, or seeking more information about the process, can contact Patient Coordinator Dakalo Maguga on 073 577 8786
email: infosa@operationsmile.org
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