Japanese Surgeons Return to Vietnam for 34th Year of Free Care

Every summer since 1993, a team of Japanese surgeons boards a plane to Vietnam with the same beautiful mission: giving children born with cleft lips and palates the surgeries they desperately need, completely free.

This spring, the Japan Cleft Palate Foundation sent 58 volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses, and staff to Nguyen Dinh Chieu General Hospital in Vinh Long Province. Over nine days, they evaluated patients and performed surgeries that restore not just smiles, but entire futures.

For Professor Nagato Natsume, the foundation's executive director, these annual trips have become deeply personal. "This is my second hometown," he told The Japan Times. "Every time I come here, I feel like I've come home."

The numbers tell an incredible story. Over 34 years, these dedicated volunteers have performed more than 3,000 cleft surgeries across Vietnam.

Their arrival each year draws families from across the region, all hoping their children will receive life changing care. On the first day of consultations this year, nearly 50 families filled a makeshift clinic in a hospital hallway.

Among them was Le Thibe Trang, whose three month old son was born with a cleft lip and palate. During her pregnancy, some family members urged her to end it. She chose hope instead.

"I wanted to give birth no matter what," she said through tears. "I was worried because we couldn't afford the treatment. I'm deeply thankful that these Japanese doctors came and performed surgery free of charge."

Why This Inspires

For families in rural Vietnam, specialized cleft surgeries can cost more than many earn in a year. Without treatment, children face not just physical challenges with eating and speaking, but social stigma that can follow them throughout life.

The Japanese team doesn't just provide medical care. They offer something equally precious: the message that every child deserves a chance at a full, confident life.

Professor Natsume's reflection captures the heart of their decades long commitment. "We want to provide support so that more children can grow up feeling glad they were born."

That simple goal has already transformed thousands of lives, and shows no signs of stopping.