We plan to establish and support comprehensive craniofacial surgery programs in two cities in India: Durgapur and Bengaluru. This project will involve sending teams of highly skilled Australian medical volunteers to work alongside local Indian healthcare professionals, providing complex craniofacial surgeries to children in need. Additionally, we will implement extensive training programs for local surgeons, ...
Operation Smile Australia
Expanding Craniofacial Surgical Care in India
GOAL
$10,000
International
Field of Interest
- Education/training and employment
- Health/wellbeing and medical research
Target Population
- People with a disability, illness or disease
- Early years (0-5)
Operation Smile Australia
Operation Smile Australia is a children's medical charity dedicated to providing safe, effective and timely surgical and related healthcare to children and young adults in developing nations. Our focus is on treating craniofacial conditions such as cleft lip and palate, encephalocele, and complex facial clefts. We work alongside local medical professionals to build sustainable healthcare systems and provide training to ensure long-term impact. Our vision is a world where no child suffers from lack of access to safe surgery. Our current priorities include expanding our craniofacial surgery programs in the Philippines, Vietnam, and India. Funding will directly support these initiatives by enabling us to send volunteer medical teams, provide essential medical equipment and supplies, and conduct training for local healthcare providers. In 2024, we participated in 17 medical programs, performing 1,066 surgical procedures and sending 53 Australian and New Zealand medical volunteers overseas. Our impact extends beyond individual patients – we transform entire communities by empowering local medical professionals and creating sustainable healthcare solutions. By supporting Operation Smile Australia, donors can help us continue to provide life-changing surgeries and build local medical capacity in underserved regions. Together, we can give children born with facial deformities the opportunity for healthier, happier futures.
Project Summary
We plan to establish and support comprehensive craniofacial surgery programs in two cities in India: Durgapur and Bengaluru. This project will involve sending teams of highly skilled Australian medical volunteers to work alongside local Indian healthcare professionals, providing complex craniofacial surgeries to children in need.
Additionally, we will implement extensive training programs for local surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and nurses to build sustainable local capacity. This initiative addresses the critical need for specialised craniofacial care in India, where many children lack access to these life-changing procedures.
By combining direct surgical intervention with comprehensive medical education, we aim to create lasting impact that extends far beyond the duration of our missions. Our approach ensures that we not only transform individual lives through surgery but also empower local medical communities to provide ongoing care independently.
Project Outcomes
The primary outcomes we aim to achieve are:
- Perform approximately 650 complex craniofacial surgeries over a 5-year period across the two target cities.
- Train at least 320 local Indian medical professionals in advanced craniofacial surgical techniques and perioperative care.
- Establish sustainable craniofacial care programs in each city that can continue to operate independently after our initial support period.
We will measure our success through:
– Detailed records of surgeries performed and patients treated
– Pre and post-operative assessments of patient outcomes
– Comprehensive evaluations of the skills and knowledge gained by local medical professionals
– Long-term follow-up on the continuation and growth of craniofacial programs in each city
Additionally, we will track the ripple effects of our work, such as improved quality of life for patients, increased local surgical capacity, and the number of subsequent surgeries performed by trained local teams independently.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $1,100,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Judith Neilson Foundation | $300,000 |
| Lions Australia | $60,000 |
| Funding Gap | $10,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Craniofacial care | $10,000 |
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