Qatar Charity (QC) sponsored surgeries for dozens of children with a cleft lip and palate in the Peshawar district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The surgeries were performed under Qatar Charity’s health initiative ‘Sinaeat Alibtisamah’ which means ‘Making a Smile’. It is an initiative for the treatment of children with a cleft lip.

As many as 30 surgeries were performed for the children with a cleft lip and palate as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Qatar Charity and Alkhidmat Hospital in Peshawar.

Dr. Abdul Hameed, Child Specialist at the Alkhidmat Hospital, stated, “We express our profound appreciation for Qatar Charity’s support in facilitating the surgeries for the most vulnerable and poor children.” He added that these surgeries have been successfully completed, indicating that the parents of the children are very happy with the outcomes of the surgeries.

“This is the first time when I see a humanitarian organization is sponsoring such kind of surgeries, which are vital for children growth,” noted the child specialist. He thanked the benefactors in Qatar and Qatar Charity for this generous initiative and helping the underprivileged families.

The beneficiaries, along with their parents, expressed their happiness with the surgical procedures performed for them.

Mr. Hakeem Ullah, a beneficiary, said “I was feeling embarrassed in front of my friends and colleagues as my voice was not clear due to the cleft lip & palate. My appearance was strange and awkward as well. This badly affected my studies and caused a lack of confidence in my personality. However, after the free surgery, I am happy that I can meet my friends with a smiley face.”

The mother of Asma Khan, another beneficiary, said, “I am a widow with limited income and was unable to bear huge medical expenses for my daughter’s surgery.  However, with Qatar Charity’s support, my daughter had a successful surgery.

It is worth mentioning that the ‘Sinaeat Alibtisamah’ initiative aims to implement 20 projects in 5 countries, including Pakistan, to benefit 1000 children during the current year.

Qatar Charity (QC), as part of its 2021-2025 health strategy, contributes to improving the healthcare situation in several developing countries suffering from low primary healthcare service coverage. This is achieved by increasing the coverage of primary and secondary healthcare services, thus promoting sustainable healthcare development.