Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft lip and palate organization, collaborates with Lifebox, a global non-profit organization that saves lives through safer surgery and anesthesia. Smile Train-Lifebox Pulse Oximeters have been distributed to Smile Train partners in the Philippines.
Cleft lip and/or palate are among the most common birth differences around the world. In the Philippines, it is estimated that 5,000 babies are born with a cleft lip or palate every year. Untreated cleft lips and palates cause children to face social stigma and discrimination, as well as difficulty eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking. Cleft surgery and treatment are life-changing interventions that may help improve their health and well-being.
As part of the Smile Train-Lifebox Safe Surgery and Anesthesia Initiative, a multi-year strategic partnership that brings together two global leaders in surgical care, a total of 11,000 pulse oximeters will be distributed to 20 countries over the next three years.
Smile Train’s long-time partners across the Philippines are among those who received oximeters, including Marikina St. Vincent General Hospital, San Fernando Hospital in Pampanga, Allegiant Regional Care Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City, and Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City. This will enhance pulse oximetry in anesthesia and critical care in the Philippines, ensuring that surgeries, especially pediatric cleft surgery, are safe. More partners will receive pulse oximeters in the coming months.
A pulse oximeter is a vital medical device that provides an easy and portable way to monitor the level of blood oxygen. Pulse oximeters are vital in detecting and treating diseases, such as hypoxia, pneumonia, and COVID-19, that affect blood oxygen levels.
Dedicated to developing cost-effective technical innovations, Smile Train and Lifebox provide a low-cost, hospital-grade pulse oximeter for low-resource settings. The device has sturdy construction and a rechargeable battery.
With this initiative, Smile Train and Lifebox will help improve cleft patients’ access to safe surgery and anesthesia procedures, impacting the lives of Filipino children and their families.
