Free plastic surgery for kids

JAKARTA (JP): The Dharmais Foundation, chaired by President Soeharto, will soon help 1,000 people with harelips, a foundation executive said yesterday.

In cooperation with Indonesia's Plastic Surgeons Association, the foundation will conduct free plastic surgery on 500 patients from Jakarta and 500 other patients from East and West Nusa Tenggara provinces, Soedihardjo said.

"Patients are expected to register at the nearest office of Golkar (ruling organization) or government hospitals," Soedihardjo said after meeting with the President at his Jl. Cendana residence.

The free surgery will start next month and continue until March next year. Soedihardjo added that harelip surgery for 1,000 people would normally cost Rp 342 million.

He said all needy people, including non-Golkar cadres, would be entitled to the service.

"We will prioritize under five-year-old children to enable them to grow normally," he said.

According to Gentur Sudjatmiko, chairman of the plastic surgeons association, at least one in every 1,000 infant was born with a harelip. In East Nusa Tenggara the percentage doubles.

"One of the main cause is malnutrition during pregnancy or infection during the first three months of pregnancy," Gentur said. (prb)