Surgery programme for cleft patients in Nagaland

Medical team during the cleft surgery programme in Nagaland to provide free treatment to children born with clefts.

Kohima, March 19 (MExN): Smile Train India, the world’s largest cleft organization, supported a four day cleft surgery programme in Nagaland to provide free treatment to children born with clefts. 

Twenty children across the state received free surgery from March 8 to 11 while free treatment, free medicines and travelling allowance was provided to patients, according to a report from Smile Train India. The cleft surgery programme was organized by Shija Hospitals and Research Center, Imphal in collaboration with Oking Hospital, Kohima.

The programme marked the completion of the 40th phase of Smile Train partner Shija Hospital’s Nagaland Cleft Outreach programme in collaboration with Oking Hospital, Kohima, which was initiated in 2012 and has provided 445 free cleft surgeries in Nagaland through this collaboration, the report added.

Ishani Biswas, Programme Manager, Smile Train India congratulated Shija Hospitals and Research Centre and Oking Hospital on successful completion of the 40th phase of the cleft surgery programme.

Talking about the Nagaland Cleft Outreach Program, Dr Kh Palin Singh, Smile Train Project Director at Shija Hospitals said, “Cleft is treatable and awareness around the same is very important. Such mega camps help us reach maximum children and provide them required support timely.”