3 Vietnam Infants Die in OSCA-Funded Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate Surgery

Three Vietnamese infants have died after being anesthetized for free cleft lip and cleft palate surgery offered by the Center for Researching and Aiding Smile Operation (OSCA), an NGO registered with the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology. Fourteen-month-old Nguyen Quang Minh, 11-month-old Nguyen Ngoc Tuyet Van and 16-month-old Pi Nang Tuan Huu were among 11 children in the central province of Khanh Hoa set to be operated by doctors from the OSCA at Military Hospital 87 on Aug 23. Medical records noted that the three babies were all conscious and healthy before being the anesthesia was administered. Soon after that, their breathing became labored and their skin turned blue. The three infants were variously rushed to Khanh Hoa General Hospital, where two quickly died. Retired doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh, who directly conducted anesthetization on these unlucky infants, said the U.S.’s Servoframe and Austria’s Fresfol were used for the anesthetization and such an anaphylactic shock has never been recorded. OSCA, set up in 2007 and funded by some organizations in the U.S. and Germany, has so far performed free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries on 2,500 Vietnamese children, but this has been the first accident since then. Following the incident, the Ministry of Health asked OSCA to stop all philanthropic surgeries in Vietnam to facilitate the police’s investigation. In Vietnam, about one in every 500 live births results in a cleft on average. (Tuoi Tre – Youth Aug 26 p5)