Cleft Lip and Palate
Not all our cleft patients are babies. Some, like Sabli, are teenagers before they obtain an operation.
Straightforward cleft lip and palate operations are regularly carried out by surgeons at the government hospital RSUP Sanglah in Denpasar. Yayasan Senyum also funds operations by Dr AA Asmarajaya at RS Dhrama Yadnya when operating theatre space is scarce at Sanglah.
Yayasan Senyum’s role in these operations is firstly to locate patients and secondly to facilitate operations including sourcing funding. We work closely with other Yayasan to locate patients, both on Bali and other islands. [See full story on Senyum Update 2]
Outreach Project
On Bali, we have established an outreach service to locate patients and get them to hospital for treatment. [See full story on Senyum Update 5]
It has been our experience in the past that providing money for operations is not enough. [See full story on Senyum Update 3]
Free Operations
The health system provides for people who hold Surat Miskin (certificate of poverty) on Bali, offering free operations and medication. Poor people, however, are often not able to negotiate the health system without help.
Brothers Armin and Multazam waiting with their parents to return to Lombok having both had cleft lip operations.
Help Provided for Bali Operations
Negotiating the health system can be very intimidating. Some people cannot speak or read Bahasa Indonesia. Poor people often do not have the money for transport to the hospital. Many poor people may simply give up.
Help Provided for Bali Operations
As advocates for these patients, Yayasan Senyum provides:
- advise to patients on how to obtain the required documents;
- help/finance for transport to the Smile House;
- accommodation/meals at the Smile House during the pre-op period and after the operation;
- help through the pre-op and admission process;
- care and help for patients when operations are delayed by illness or for other reasons;
- food and support for a family member during the time the patient is in hospital;
- rest at the Smile House for at least one night after discharge;
- help in understanding any medication required after the operation;
- help for breast-feeding mothers to maintain their milk by expressing milk for their post-operative babies;
- advice on post-operative feeding and a supply of milk powder if necessary;
- arrangements for patients transport to their home;
- re-call for patients requiring further treatment;
We consider this assistance to be an integral part of any operation.
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