Over 200 children with cleft lips and cleft palates in Daklak Province are being assessed and prepared for free surgery under the 2026 Smile Surgery Programme, which began on September 26.
The programme is being organised in Tan An Ward by the Dak Lak Department of Health in partnership with charitable organisations and will run from September 26 to 30.
Since 2018, the Vietnam Smile Surgery Centre and its sponsors have provided medical support to more than 2,800 children in Dak Lak, with total funding exceeding VND 4.1 billion (USD 157,700).
More than 700 children have undergone screening and surgery for cleft lips and palates, with funding of over VND 3.5 billion (USD 134,600). A further 2,152 children have received dental examinations and treatment, supported by VND 616 million (USD 23,700).
Nguyen Xuan Quy, director of the Dak Lak Social Protection and Children's Support Centre, said the province would seek to expand charitable medical programmes in the coming years.
In addition to cleft-lip and cleft-palate surgery, the centre plans to seek funding for programmes providing surgery for children with congenital heart conditions and those with musculoskeletal and mobility-related disabilities.
Doctors and medical staff from Buon Ma Thuot University Hospital have supported the programme for several years, proactively arranging personnel, vehicles and medical equipment.
Vo Minh Thanh, director of the hospital, said it had developed a plan to coordinate examinations and treatment and allocate the necessary resources to ensure that children's surgeries are carried out safely and effectively.
