Zanzibar — ZANZIBAR has improved its facial surgery services, the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health; Dr Mohamed Saleh Jidawi, said the improvement is a milestone in development.

"With improved skills, and new equipment, our doctors will be able to help many patients," Dr Jidawi said thanking facial surgeons from China. Facial surgery corrects a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and mouth.

Dr Xu Ming and Dr Lu Yong facial surgeons from China were in Zanzibar recently to improve the section at the dentistry department- Mnazi-Mmoja Hospital. During their short stay, the experts performed surgery on three children and four adults.

The Chinese experts also donated equipment. Zanzibar doctors said facial surgery is important, and patients want to be confident that the treatment offered is the best available. Many people in Zanzibar mainly children and youths risk significant disfigurement to the face and head as a result of diseases and accidents.

However, doctors say that while medical treatment can help to make a disfigurement less noticeable, the success of treatment depends on the degree of the injury and it is rarely possible to remove disfigurement completely.