Pioneer in Peru: Dr. Carlos E. Navarro
One Generous Surgeon Helps Hundreds Of Local Children.
Peru, with more than 23 million inhabitants, is one of the world’s
most populated countries and the third largest in South America.
Unfortunately, it is also
a very poor country where sub-standard medical care is too often
the rule rather than the exception. As a result, Peru has seen a
very high and growing incidence of unrepaired cleft lip and palate.
Yet, regardless of these overwhelming odds and a tiny budget, Dr.
Carlos E. Navarro, M.D., F.A.C.S., the chairman of CIRPLAST—a
non-profit organization specializing in plastic and reconstructive
surgery—is making a tremendous difference in the lives of
many needy Peruvian children. In fact, under his leadership, the
organization has operated on 2,000 indigent patients with cleft
and provided more than 4,000 consultations during 44 volunteer surgical
journeys throughout Peru.
Despite the doctor’s remarkable dedication and achievement,
the demand for cleft surgery has steadily increased, putting CIRPLAST
in the unenviable position of having to limit the number of children
it can help. Thanks to support from The Smile Train, however, Dr.
Navarro’s team is now able to say “yes” to children
far more often than it ever could before.
“With the help of The Smile Train, a cleft surgical program
was started at Hospital Cayetano Heredia, in Lima,” says Dr.
Navarro. “Since 2001, more than 150 cleft patients have received
surgery at Cayetano Heredia.”
Currently, he is working with CIRPLAST to extend its activities
by coordinating with regional universities and other health institutions
around the country, in an effort to take care of the great number
of cleft patients who received inadequate surgical repairs by poorly
trained surgeons.
“It is sad that these patients are all too often neglected,”
says Dr. Navarro,” but with The Smile Train’s help,
we will continue to help as many children as possible.”
DeLois Greenwood, Smile Train Vice President, agrees, “Dr.
Navarro has accomplished truly amazing things by leveraging every
possible resource, financial and otherwise. The Smile Train is proud
to support a group with this level of dedication and commitment
to the needy children of its country.”
also
a very poor country where sub-standard medical care is too often
the rule rather than the exception. As a result, Peru has seen a
very high and growing incidence of unrepaired cleft lip and palate.