About

Most of Bangladesh’s  population of 153 million still live below the poverty line.

60% of the people are very poor earning a meager daily income of $5. General living standards are well below acceptable levels.  People tend to flock to the cities where the employment is focused.  Water is often contaminated and there is regular yearly flooding in monsoon season causing thousands of deaths and widespread disease.

Many people live on the streets in mere shanties. Infrastructure is abysmal and there are many blackouts each day. Healthcare standards are rising all the time but still leave a lot to be desired.

The ratio of plastic surgeons to population are;

Bangladesh - 1:8,000.000
Australia - 1:70,000

Around 200,000 cleft lip/palate patients are left without any form of treatment whatsoever.  Poverty makes it impossible for most of these cleft patients to get any surgical help. 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 ostracized because of the deformity of their child. Children are unable to attend school and adults unable to work . Women are often considered unfit to marry.

However, simple surgical procedures can transform their lives.  These operations average 2 hours and usually require only an overnight hospital stay.  After the procedure, a patient can not only play an active part in his or her own life but also make contributions like any other member of the family.

One operation costs just over $200.  This is inclusive of all medication, purchase of instruments and supplies, hospital charges including food and accommodation for patient and carer, anaesthetic drugs and family transport to and from the centres. The project also pays the wages of any Bangladeshi staff who assist. The Australian team obviously works free.

The pioneer of the Aussi Bangla Smile Project, Dr Hasan Sarwar, is currently working in Australia and undergoing further training as a registrar at a major public hospital in the outer west of Sydney.

The voluntary surgical team consists of operating theatre staff (doctors and nurses) all fully trained and accredited.  The members of the team who take their annual leave, pay their own flight costs and accommodation expenses and raise money to fully fund the project. The team also carry all supplies as personal luggage on the flight.