Dubai doctors to perform surgeries in Indian villages

A team led by an Indian-origin plastic surgeon from Dubai will perform free operations on children with cleft lips and acid burn victims in several villages in India next month.

About 45 operations will be done in two days in January by the group led by Sanjay Parashar, a reputed plastic surgeon in Dubai.

They will perform the surgeries in villages near Nagpur, Maharashtra, The National daily reported.

The team comprises two plastic surgeons from Nagpur, a doctor from Australia and another specialist from Dubai.

Parashar directs his earnings from cosmetic surgery - such as tummy tucks, liposuction and hair transplants - to treat needy villagers, the report said.

"I think it has become a passion. But I will always do reconstructive surgery for free because patients in India cannot afford it. It's a good balance," Parashar said.

He said most villagers just live with cleft lips because it involves four operations, depending on the severity.

"They are left with a stigma because it affects their speech and eating," he said.

"For a parent, it is traumatising. It affects them psychologically, particularly if a child is born in a primary health care facility where people may not be aware of the condition."