US military, Dominican surgeons announce free surgeries for minors

Santo Domingo – The United States Embassy and the ministries of Defense and of Health will conduct the 11th Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Day free of charge, headed by a medical team from Walter Reed Military Hospital in Maryland, and the Dr. Arturo Grullon Children’s Hospital of Santiago.

The surgeries will be performed for the second time in Santiago and are focused on providing free surgery services for children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years of age) who need an operation for cleft lip, cleft palate reconstruction, maxillary surgery and skull -facial deformities.

The medical drive will start Saturday, April 11 and conclude on Thursday April 23.

“In a first step we will work to assess each patient on Saturday 11 at the Armed Forces Central Hospital on Sunday, April 12 at the Arturo Grullón Children’s Hospital in Santiago starting 8am; while surgeries are only performed on this occasion at Children’s Hospital,” the US embassy said in a statement.

It said 19 Walter Reed Military Hospital medical professionals will be part of the effort including plastic surgeons, therapists, orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, a language pathology specialist and pediatricians, alongside a large team of Dominican professionals. “More than 120 patients are expected to benefit.”

Each year the US Embassy, the Defense Ministry and the Public Health Ministry promote the medical drive at the request of Dominican Republic’s Government.

more information: 809-541-9339 ext. 2004 in Santo Domingo; 809-583-2381 ext. 2381 in Santiago, from 8am to 6pm .