USM TREATING INDONESIAN CLEFT-LIP PATIENTS

KOTA BAHARU (Malaysia), March 6 (Bernama) -- The higher education ministry
has applauded Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM), a local public university,
move to help treat children born with cleft-lip and palate in remote areas of
Indonesia.

Deputy minister Idris Haron said the social service made Malaysia the
first Islamic country to offer such a treatment in Pekan Baru, Riau.

He said the noble effort by USM's health campus school of dental science
(PPSP) was lauded by the international community.

Idris was speaking to reporters after officiating the first national-level
Dental Students Scientific Conference at the USM Health Campus in Kubang Kerian
here Thursday.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (English: University of Science, Malaysia,
acronym: USM is a public university with its main campus situated in Penang,
Malaysia. There are two other branch campuses, one in mainland Penang, and the
other in Kelantan, on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

A total of 100 dental students from six local universities participated in
the one-day conference.

Relating USM's success, Idris said within a few weeks of their visit to Riau
at the end of last year, PPSP's dental specialists had treated over 40 patients
with cleft-lip and palate, with all costs borne by USM, including further
treatment at USM Hospital.

He said USM was now planning to send a second team with more specialists to
Dabo, Singkep, in Kalimantan next June, to treat more patients with cleft-lip
and palate problem.

-- BERNAMA