About

Slightly larger than Tasmania, Bangladesh is a developing country in Southeast Asia with 148 million people. Most of the population still live below the poverty line. 60% of the people are very poor earning a meagre daily income of $5. People tend to flock to the cities where the employment is focused.  Healthcare standards are rising all the time but still leave a lot to be desired.

Ratio of plastic surgeons:

Bangladesh: 15-20 plastic surgeons for a population of 148m - 1: 8,000,000
Australia: 286 plastic surgeons (source: RACS 18/02/07), population 20m - 1:70,000

Lack of education, knowledge and resources are the primary reasons why basic plastic surgical patients like cleft lip palate, burn reconstruction, and hand injuries go untreated. Around 200,000 cleft patients are left without any form of treatment whatsoever.

Poverty makes it impossible for most of these cleft patients to get any surgical help. Their deformed facial structures keep them from attending schools or finding a job. These patients are almost always neglected and more so if the patient happens to be a girl. It is common for the whole family to be ostracised because of a cleft lip child.

However, simple surgical procedures can transform their lives. After the procedure, a patient can not only play an active part in her own life but also make contributions like any other member in her family.

Cleft Mission Bangladesh - a voluntary organization in Bangladesh is organizing cleft mission work in different parts of the country. Every month, the organization visits different districts or countryside hospitals to carry out surgery for these unfortunate cleft patients. Just an hour of surgery can make a world of difference to their lives.

It’s a sight to behold to see the parents rejoicing after a successful surgery. You almost feel privileged to have been able to do something. One operation costs only AU$100 to AU$150 which is inclusive of all medication, hospital charges and anaesthetic drugs and patient transport to and from the centres. The surgical team obviously works free.

The pioneer of the idea “Cleft mission in Bangladesh”, Dr. Hasan Sarwar, is currently working with us and undergoing further plastic surgical training at a major public hospital in the Nepean area and last year (2006) at the Children’s Hospital, Westmead.
 
Dr Sarwar has currently been carrying out this work (as seen in the group photograph) with a Bangladesh basis taking a voluntary team from the hospitals in Bangladesh. He is visiting in March 2007 to initiate working visas, accommodation and a work plan at each venue for us as well as carrying out a working mission in the more remote areas. Dr Sarwar’s brother who also takes part in these projects is an anaesthetist in Bangladesh. He is assisting with arrangements from Dhaka. The staff of the Dhaka Community Hospital are also contributing greatly to the organisation of the mission.

Aussi Bangla Smile - A voluntary Medical team - consists of operation theatre staff all fully trained and accredited  (6 theatre nurses, an anaesthetist, and a surgeon). Dr Sarwar is the only surgeon from Australia on this initial trip. Dr Sarwar comes from Bangladesh and is currently working as a Registrar in the Plastic Surgical department of a large NSW public hospital. We, the team are eagerly looking forward to visiting Bangladesh in October 2007 for a two-week period.