Pakistan faces a growing health challenge as thousands of children live with cleft lips and cleft palates.
Doctors say the condition is treatable, but many families cannot get treatment on time. Experts estimate that nearly 300,000 children across the country suffer from the condition. This places Pakistan among the countries with the highest number of cleft cases in the world.
Doctors say several factors can cause cleft lips and palates. These include family history, cousin marriages, poor nutrition during pregnancy, lack of folic acid, smoking, diabetes, infections, and some medicines. Children with this condition often need surgery, speech therapy, and long term medical care.
Many families in Sindh say government hospitals do not offer enough treatment services. Parents often struggle to find doctors and hospitals that can perform the required surgeries. Some families depend on charitable organizations because they cannot afford private treatment.
Doctors in Karachi say the city has only a few plastic surgeons in public hospitals. They add that treatment can continue from birth until early adulthood. However, public hospitals do not have enough facilities to provide complete care.
Punjab offers more treatment centers, especially in Lahore. Even so, families still face delays and extra costs for medicines, tests, and follow up visits. Private hospitals charge between Rs150,000 and Rs500,000 for a single surgery. Many parents cannot pay such large amounts.
Families in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa face similar problems. Doctors say many children in remote areas need treatment, but the province still lacks a specialized cleft surgery hospital. As a result, families often turn to charities for help.
Medical experts believe early treatment can help children live normal and healthy lives. They say the government must improve healthcare services, increase the number of specialists, and support mothers during pregnancy. Experts also stress that stronger public hospitals can help thousands of children receive timely treatment.
Without better healthcare support, many children may continue to suffer from a condition that doctors can successfully treat.
