Kohima, March 23 (MExN): A team of doctors from Smile Train Shija Cleft Project, Imphal will be conducting a free mega surgery camp for primary cleft lips and palates (unrepaired cleft lips and palates) at Oking Hospital & Research Clinic, Kohima from March 28 to 30. The initiative is part of the Smile Train Shija Cleft Project – Mission Nagaland, 41st Phase, informed a press release on Tuesday.
According to the release, Smile Train which was founded in 1998, has grown into the world’s largest cleft-focused global NGO with its headquarter in New York. The Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Mission Nagaland, was formally launched by the then Governor of Nagaland K Sankaranarayanan on February 11, 2009. It is a joint initiative of Smile Train Shija Cleft Project, Imphal and Oking Hospital, Kohima to reach out to the cleft lip and palate patients of Nagaland and give them a new lease of life by rendering absolutely free of cost corrective surgery, free medicine, accommodation and travelling allowance up to a permissible limit. More than 600 cleft patients from Nagaland have availed of free treatment till date under this project and still counting, the release stated.
It further stated that in India, over 35,000 children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate every year and considering the population of Nagaland, it is believed that there are more than 2,500 untreated cleft patients in the state. These patients are unable to avail of treatment due to financial constraints and unawareness of the treatment facility, the release stated, while adding that children born with clefts have difficulty while eating, breathing and speaking. “Untreated they live a life of isolation and majority of these children never go to school and seldom find jobs, “ it added.
It meanwhile appealed citizens to disseminate the information regarding the upcoming free cleft lip and palate surgery camp in their respective areas and refer the patients with clefts to Oking Hospital and Research Clinic, Kohima.
The patients can register at Oking Hospital & Research Clinic, Kohima one or two days ahead of the camp for necessary examination or contact the following numbers for further details: Oking Hospital, Kohima (0370 2290080,2290146) or Smile Train Shija Cleft Project, Imphal (9436869799, 9436235270).
