Canguro o.n.l.u.s. Flights Aid

CANGURO ONLUS FLIGHTS AID PROJECT
and
SMILE TRAIN ITALIA ONLUS

“The Flying Hospital”

The Smile Train Italia Onlus Association carries out reconstructive and maxillo-facial plastic surgery in developing countries on poor children affected by serious facial malformations, burn and war injuries. Since 1999, the year it was founded in the United States, more than 285,000 children have been operated free of charge by Smile Train's volunteer medical staff, but this involved only one third of those in need, many others are still waiting for our help.

The Canguro ONLUS Flights Aid association was created with the aim of helping poor populations throughout the world, in developing countries or those devastated by wars and natural disasters, by using aircrafts.
The first European "Air Hospital" project came to light following the cooperation between Canguro ONLUS Flights Aid association and Smile Train, so as to reach all the inaccessible and isolated countries in extremely needy conditions.
During Smile Train's humanitarian missions, children and parents that were to be visited and operated, often faced very long journeys to reach the only hospital operating in the country, that many a time was at days distance from the villages. On top of the high cost for these poor families, there is therefore the weariness to reach the hospitals; for this reason Canguro's idea of creating a flying hospital combines perfectly with the spirit of Smile Train's physicians, who could in this way reach the villages directly and operate the children within their communities, therefore preventing them from moving in any way.

This aircraft will allow operation in developing countries under ordinary rcircumstances and everywhere necessary under extraordinary conditions (catastrophies, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.). The aircraft will be equipped with two operating theatres and an external pneumatic tent with 10 beds.

Expenses for one Smile Train surgical mission

The equipe of volunteer physicians for an operating theatre is made up of about 8 persons: surgeon - anaesthetist - pediatric intensive care physician - surgeon's assistant - post surgical nurses - coordinator. The first thing to do is perform a screening on the young patients so as to decide the list of operations and the number of patients to operate. The operation for the correction of harelip lasts an average of 50 minutes and it is resolutory for the child, who can therefore return to leading a normal and dignified life. Post-operative treatment lasts about 4 days.

Screening is carried out on an average of 100 children affected by inborn facial malformations and consequences of burns and war injuries.

Surgery begins.

Hospital stay and post-operative monitoring.

Discharge.

The average cost for a cleft-palate operation is of about € 250 and it is totally incurred by Smile Train.

It includes: electromedical equipment necessary for the operating theatre, medicines, anaesthetics, surgical equipment (suture thread, knife etc.) sterile disposable material, blood pressure monitor, defibrillator.

The "Flying Hospital" not only has the aim of reaching distant countries, but also of optimising humanitarian operation expenses allowing volunteer staff not to incurr in travelling and accomodation expenses, and invest the amounts saved in other surgical operations for children in need.
The cooperation will develop according to the availability of the aircarft at Smile Train's disposal when requested and agreed upon for all the missions, though both associations continue to carry out their humanitarian missions independently from the "Flying Hospital" Project.

Canguro Onlus Flights Aid will continue to carry out eye surgery missions but an operating theatre for lip and palate surgery will also be available inside the aircraft. In order to carry out these important missions, one must consider not only purchasing costs for the aircraft and surgery expenses but also those to operate the aircraft itself and the expenses for medical staff accomodation throughout their entire stay.