Dr. Vikethonyu Kesiezie and Santosh Shekhar at the press conference, today, September 24 in Kohima. (Morung Photo)
Kohima | September 24 : The Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Nagaland Mission was launched here today. It is a triangular initiative of Smile Train Inc., Shija Hospitals, Imphal and Oking Hospital, Kohima.
With the launching of Nagaland Mission, patients with Cleft Lip and Palate can now avail of the free surgical treatment at Oking Hospitals and Research Clinic, Kohima.
More than 2500 cleft patients in Nagaland
Announcing this in a press conference at Dream Cafe, various facilities will be available under the project for Cleft Lip and Palate patients at Oking Hospital included; regular free screening camps for cleft patients from Nagaland, free medicine, treatment and accommodation for patients at Oking Hospital and Research Clinic, Kohima, professional staff for taking care of patient needs and free periodic follow up of all operated cases at Kohima.
After successfully undertaking the project at Shija Hospitals and Research Institute, the Nagaland Mission is an initiative to reach out to the patients of Nagaland who are suffering from Cleft Lip and Palate.
Considering the population of Nagaland, it is believed that there are more than 2500 Cleft patients in the state. The said patients are unable to avail of the treatment due to financial constraint and unawareness of the treatment facility.
Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Nagaland Mission shall be rendering absolute free treatment to patients with cleft lip and palate from the age of 6 months onwards. The eligibility to undergo the operation under the said Mission, for Cleft Lip the patient should be 6 months old and for Cleft Palate the patient should be 14 months old.
Any patients with Cleft Lip and Palate can get themselves registered with Oking Hospital and Research Clinic, Kohima and collect the details of the date of camp etc. Camps will be conducted once a month wherein Partnered Plastic Surgeon will come from Smile Train Shija Cleft Project and deliver their service at Oking Hospital and Research Clinic. Post operative patients can avail the follow up facility during such camp.
To start with this promising initiative, partnered Plastic Surgeon- Dr. Kh Palin, Shija Hospitals will be holding a screening camp on September 27 at 12:00 Noon at Oking Hospital and the Cleft patients will be operated on the same and subsequent day.
OHRC managing director Dr. Vikethonyu Kesiezie made an earnest request to media, social worker, church leader, healthcare workers to refer the patients with Cleft to Oking Hospital and give the unfortunate patients a new lease of life.
He also stated that apart from offering free treatment and others, travelling expenses will also bear by them.
Oking Hospital & Research Clinic Pvt. Ltd, Kohima can also be reached at
(0370) 2243339, 2243341, 2241003, Tele Fax: (0370) 2243340 or e-mail: oharc@hotmail.com
Santosh Shekhar, manager- business development Shija Hospitals said the Smile Train is an NGO launched in 1998 with the goal to eradicate the global problem of cleft lips and palates.
The Smile Train Inc. headquarter is based in New York, USA. It has a comprehensive approach - free training for doctors, free surgery for children and research to find a cure. Since 2000, Smile Train has sponsored over 250,000 safe, quality surgeries across India, totally free of cost.
Shija Hospitals, Imphal is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified 200 bedded hospital providing secondary and tertiary health care centre in Manipur, recognized by Smile Train Inc., as partnered hospital from June 2006. The hospital has the departmental facility for General and Laparoscopic Surgery, General Medicine, Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Nephrology, Dentistry, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Urology, Anesthesiology and Critical care, Obstetrics and Gynecology, ENT, Physiotherapy, Radiology, Pathology. The hospital has set a Guinness World Record for removing the largest neck tumor in the world in the year 2003. The hospital is also the first centre in to re-implant a totally amputated hand in the NE India.
Oking Hospital and Research Clinic, Kohima is a 72 bedded, state of the art hospital located in the central part of Kohima. The hospital has the departmental facilities for General Surgery, Medicine, OBG, ENT, Physiotherapy, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics and Neonatalogy, Urology, Radiotherapy, Radio Diagnosis, ICU/CCU, Pathology.
The Smile Train Shija Cleft Project has successfully performed 2050 free cleft surgeries since the beginning.
“We not only provide free quality corrective surgeries but also provide free diagnostics and treatment services, accommodation, for patients and one attendant. Additional services include speech therapy, nursing care, counseling, and rehabilitation services which are also provided free,” said Shekhar
Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly. Aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job. And face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache. The exact cause is not known.
The best time for primary surgery is within one year. One is born in every 600 to 800 live birth and in India; over 35,000 children are born with cleft lips or palates every year. Most of them cannot afford treatment though the deformity is totally treatable. Money is the only deterrence that avoids a patient with cleft lip and palate to avail of the treatment facility.
With the launching of Nagaland Mission, patients with Cleft Lip and Palate can now avail of the free surgical treatment at Oking Hospitals and Research Clinic, Kohima.
More than 2500 cleft patients in Nagaland
Announcing this in a press conference at Dream Cafe, various facilities will be available under the project for Cleft Lip and Palate patients at Oking Hospital included; regular free screening camps for cleft patients from Nagaland, free medicine, treatment and accommodation for patients at Oking Hospital and Research Clinic, Kohima, professional staff for taking care of patient needs and free periodic follow up of all operated cases at Kohima.
After successfully undertaking the project at Shija Hospitals and Research Institute, the Nagaland Mission is an initiative to reach out to the patients of Nagaland who are suffering from Cleft Lip and Palate.
Considering the population of Nagaland, it is believed that there are more than 2500 Cleft patients in the state. The said patients are unable to avail of the treatment due to financial constraint and unawareness of the treatment facility.
Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Nagaland Mission shall be rendering absolute free treatment to patients with cleft lip and palate from the age of 6 months onwards. The eligibility to undergo the operation under the said Mission, for Cleft Lip the patient should be 6 months old and for Cleft Palate the patient should be 14 months old.
Any patients with Cleft Lip and Palate can get themselves registered with Oking Hospital and Research Clinic, Kohima and collect the details of the date of camp etc. Camps will be conducted once a month wherein Partnered Plastic Surgeon will come from Smile Train Shija Cleft Project and deliver their service at Oking Hospital and Research Clinic. Post operative patients can avail the follow up facility during such camp.
To start with this promising initiative, partnered Plastic Surgeon- Dr. Kh Palin, Shija Hospitals will be holding a screening camp on September 27 at 12:00 Noon at Oking Hospital and the Cleft patients will be operated on the same and subsequent day.
OHRC managing director Dr. Vikethonyu Kesiezie made an earnest request to media, social worker, church leader, healthcare workers to refer the patients with Cleft to Oking Hospital and give the unfortunate patients a new lease of life.
He also stated that apart from offering free treatment and others, travelling expenses will also bear by them.
Oking Hospital & Research Clinic Pvt. Ltd, Kohima can also be reached at
(0370) 2243339, 2243341, 2241003, Tele Fax: (0370) 2243340 or e-mail: oharc@hotmail.com
Santosh Shekhar, manager- business development Shija Hospitals said the Smile Train is an NGO launched in 1998 with the goal to eradicate the global problem of cleft lips and palates.
The Smile Train Inc. headquarter is based in New York, USA. It has a comprehensive approach - free training for doctors, free surgery for children and research to find a cure. Since 2000, Smile Train has sponsored over 250,000 safe, quality surgeries across India, totally free of cost.
Shija Hospitals, Imphal is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified 200 bedded hospital providing secondary and tertiary health care centre in Manipur, recognized by Smile Train Inc., as partnered hospital from June 2006. The hospital has the departmental facility for General and Laparoscopic Surgery, General Medicine, Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Nephrology, Dentistry, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Urology, Anesthesiology and Critical care, Obstetrics and Gynecology, ENT, Physiotherapy, Radiology, Pathology. The hospital has set a Guinness World Record for removing the largest neck tumor in the world in the year 2003. The hospital is also the first centre in to re-implant a totally amputated hand in the NE India.
Oking Hospital and Research Clinic, Kohima is a 72 bedded, state of the art hospital located in the central part of Kohima. The hospital has the departmental facilities for General Surgery, Medicine, OBG, ENT, Physiotherapy, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics and Neonatalogy, Urology, Radiotherapy, Radio Diagnosis, ICU/CCU, Pathology.
The Smile Train Shija Cleft Project has successfully performed 2050 free cleft surgeries since the beginning.
“We not only provide free quality corrective surgeries but also provide free diagnostics and treatment services, accommodation, for patients and one attendant. Additional services include speech therapy, nursing care, counseling, and rehabilitation services which are also provided free,” said Shekhar
Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly. Aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job. And face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache. The exact cause is not known.
The best time for primary surgery is within one year. One is born in every 600 to 800 live birth and in India; over 35,000 children are born with cleft lips or palates every year. Most of them cannot afford treatment though the deformity is totally treatable. Money is the only deterrence that avoids a patient with cleft lip and palate to avail of the treatment facility.
