STORY: Somalia launches first ever-cleft lip and palate

surgery clinic
DURATION: 4:10
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT
REQUIRED:
AMISOM
PUBLIC
INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI/NATS
DATELINE:
3/11/2016,
MOGADISHU,
SOMALIA
SHOT LIST
Wide shot of AMISOM hospital compound.
Medium shot of Ambulance
Long shot of admission wards
Medium shot of the admission exercise.
Medium close up of admission exercise.
Close up shot of a cleft lip young girl.
Medium shot of Dr. Kiyengo and nurse checking on a recovering
patient.
8. Medium close up of nurse checking patients wound.
9. Close up of recovering patient.
10.
Medium shot of an admitted patient on bed.
11.
Tight close up of patients face.
12.
Close up of patients face.
13.
SOUNDBITE (SOMALI): - SHEIKH AWEYS MOHAMED CLEFT LIP PATIENT
I heard from a friend that AMISOM hospital was
conducting cleft lip operation. He told me that
opportunity knocks once and I had to take it seriously I
shared the news with my parents. They appreciated
and agreed with my uncle to escort me to the AMISOM
hospital. He signed the consent forms for the surgery;
and here I am waiting to be operated on.
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7.

14.
Medium close up of patient on bed.
15.
Tight close up of a cannula on the hand.
16.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): DOCTOR COLONEL JAMES
KIYENGO - AMISOM SURGEON.
Cleft lip and palate entails two or three operations. It
includes also a speech therapist, psychologist, dentists
and odontologist who correct the deformed teeth. So
you find that it (costs) adds up to something like
US$1,000. Thats unaffordable. But apart from the
unaffordability, the availability of plastic surgeons in

Mogadishu is not something easy to come by at the

moment. The availability of the technology, technical
personnel to carry out such surgeries and the facilities
are unthinkable because the hospitals and resources
are few.
17.
Medium shot of a UPDF doctor examining a patient.
18.
Tight close up of a lady patient talking.
19.
Medium shot of a doctor taking a picture of the patients
mouth
20.
Tight close up of a doctor taking a picture of the patients
mouth.
21.
Close up shot of baby with a cleft lip
22.
SOUNDBITE (SOMALI): KHADIJA HASSAN NOOR PATIENT
I would like my daughter to undergo the operation,
but my concern is that I may be required to stay with
her here for some time and may be unable to provide
for my family and children back home, as my husband
does not have a job,
23.
Medium shot of a lady and her sick child seated in the ward.
24.
Close up of a baby with cleft lip.
25.
Close up of a mother with a cleft lip.
26.
SOUNDBITE (SOMALI): FATUMAH OSMAN YUSUF PATIENT
We heard about the cleft lip operations from a family
member,
who
brought
us
here
today.
27.
Medium close up of a baby on the surgical table in the
operation room.
28.
Close up of Surgical blades and other equipment.
29.
Medium shot of doctors preparing a baby for an operation
30.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): DOCTOR COL. JAMES KIYENGO AMISOM SURGEON.
It has been noticed that some patients have a genetic
background of the condition. For instance we have here
a mother and child who also has a cleft lip. We also
have another mother who has bilateral cleft lip and the
child, also the same.
31.
Medium close up of a team of AMISOM doctors performing an
operation.
32.
Close up shot of an operation procedure.
STORY
Somalia launches first ever-cleft lip and palate surgery clinic

MOGADISHU - The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), is

offering free corrective surgery to children and adults with cleft lip
and palate deformities. The surgical mission is taking place at the
AMISOM Level ll Hospital in Somalias capital Mogadishu.
A team of doctors from AMISOM with partners from the international
cleft lip charity Smile Train and Bancroft Global Development
launched the surgical camp expected to benefit at least 300 people.
Cleft lip and palate entails two or three operations. It includes also
a speech therapist, psychologist and dentists and odontologist to
correct the deformed teeth. So you find that it adds up to something
like US$1,000. Thats unaffordable. But apart from the
unaffordability, the availability of plastic surgeons in Mogadishu is
not something easy to come by at the moment. The availability of
the technology, technical personnel to carry out such surgeries and
the facilities is unthinkable because the hospitals and resources are
few, Dr. Col. James Kiyengo, the head surgeon explains.
Cleft lip and palate is a condition that occurs when a babys lip or
mouth does not form fully during pregnancy. A cleft lip can either be
a small or large opening that goes through the lip to the nose. A
cleft palate occurs when the tissue that forms the roof of the mouth
does not join together during pregnancy.
Sheikh Aweys Mohamed, 29, a resident of Mogadishu was born with
the malformation, which has also affected his speech.
I heard from a friend that AMISOM hospital was conducting the
operations. He told me that opportunity knocks only once and that I
had to take it seriously, and so I shared the news with my parents.
They agreed and asked my uncle to escort me to the AMISOM
hospital. He signed the consent forms for the surgery; and here I am
waiting to be operated on, Aweys said.
Doctors says Aweys has one of the severest cases of cleft lip. But,
he is just one among thousands living with this deformity in
Somalia.
Khadija Hassan Noor, a 33 year old mother, brought her six-month
old daughter Safia to the medical camp, for a possible surgery.
I would like my daughter to undergo the operation, but my concern
is that I may be required to stay with her here for some time and
may be unable to provide for my family and children back home, as
my husband does not have a job, she said.

A teenager, 19-year-old Fatuma Osman Yusuf and her eight month

old son Sayid, also suffer the same condition.
We heard about the cleft lip operations from a family member who
brought us here today, Fatuma said, adding that she was hopeful
that her son would undergo a successful surgery.
Although there is no definitive medical explanation for cleft lip and
palate, doctors attribute the deformity to a genetic disorder.
It has been noticed that some patients have a genetic background
of the condition. For instance we have here a mother and child who
also has a cleft lip. We also have another mother who has bilateral
cleft lip and the child, also the same, explained Dr. Col. James
Kiyengo.
There are currently no available statistics on the number of people
suffering from cleft lip and palate in Somalia.
END