Operation Smile Morocco is celebrating 20 years of providing new smiles and life-changing surgery to more than 11,500 children and young adults born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. The organization is marking the milestone by hosting an historic ten table medical mission from Oct. 30 to Nov. 8 at the Hassan II hospital. With this historic mission, the Foundation aims to provide more than 200 children with life-changing surgery with the help of over 140 medical volunteers from 18 different countries. The mission will end with a 20th Anniversary celebratory closing dinner on Nov. 8th offered by Operation Smile Morocco.
Registration will open on the 1st and 2nd of November at the Hassan II Hospital in Agadir. Diagnoses will then be established by a medical team. Following the immediate review of the files, a medical committee will develop a main list and a complementary list of patients eligible to undergo surgery during the week of Nov. 4th to Nov. 8, 2019, while November 9th, will be dedicated to postoperative control.
“I am so excited to celebrate today the 20th Anniversary of Operation Smile Morocco and leading this team of our excellent volunteers in several medical fields, thanks to whom, we have managed to help today 11.590 patients precisely and we will add 200 more during this mission in Agadir. This is how we are celebrating our success, By exceeding the expectations," said Fouzia Jbara Mahmoudi, Vice President & Co-Founder, Operation Smile Morocco and Regional Vice-President of MENA Region.
In 20 years, Operation Smile Morocco has provided free and safe surgical care to more than 11,500 children, opened three Cleft Care Centers and provided educational training to hundreds of medical volunteers. The openings of the Cleft Care Centers in Casablanca, El Jadida and the newest one in Oujda are included in Operation Smile Morocco’s biggest accomplishments since each center helps to provide patient care all year round. Over the years, the Foundation has provided impactful education and training programs. Hundreds of medical volunteers are trained each year in new surgical techniques, basic lifesaving (BLS) and pediatric advanced life support skills (PALS).
“On behalf of my wife Kathy, together we extend our sincere congratulations to Co-Founder and Vice President Fouzia Mahmoudi and the entire Operation Smile Morocco Team. For 20 years, you have worked tirelessly to change lives with the support of your compassionate and skilled medical volunteers,” said Bill Magee, CEO and Co-Founder of Operation Smile. “Thanks to your unwavering commitment, thousands of families all over Morocco have new beginnings.”
Operation Smile Morocco continues to grow and undertake new initiatives to strengthen the existing programs. These significant accomplishments could not have been achieved without the time, service and donations provided by volunteers and sponsors. Without their hard-work, passion and selflessness, the Foundation would not be able to provide the medical services, education and training that it does today.
Media are invited to attend the Nov. 5th -Nov. 7th.
For more information, please contact:
Phone: 06 61 47 79 10/06 61 42 79 35/06 61 42 79 10
Fax: 05 22 82 38 35
Operation Smile Morocco Address: Lot INAF, Villa No. 7, Street 3, Hay El Ouroud, El Fida Mers Sultan, Casablanca
About Operation Smile Morocco Association
Operation Smile Morocco (OSM), founded in 1999, has become one of the strongest and most active Partners with Operation Smile International, with a core group of more than 400 volunteers in the medical profession, who have their time, which has spurred the expansion of OSM programs for years. Operation Smile Morocco is recognized as one of the most respected medical NGOs in Morocco, and as such enjoys considerable support from the Moroccan Ministry of Health. A visit to our Website www.operationsmile.ma will give you more information.
About Operation Smile
Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of safe surgeries for those born with cleft lip and cleft palate. With more than three decades of expertise, Operation Smile creates solutions that deliver free surgery to people where it’s needed most. As one of the largest medical volunteer-based nonprofits, Operation Smile has mobilized thousands of medical volunteers from a wide range of medical specialties from more than 80 countries. Operation Smile engages public-private partnerships to advance health care delivery, train local medical professionals to provide surgical care for patients in their communities, donate crucial medical equipment and supplies, and increase access to surgical care so that everyone living with cleft is treated. Visit operationsmile.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
