Our Correspondent
Kohima | October 8
The 31st phase of Mission Nagaland under Smile Train Shija Cleft Project for free treatment of cleft lip and cleft palate will take place from October 13 to 15 at Oking Hospital, Kohima. In collaboration with Oking Hospital, the project has covered more than 600 patients in Nagaland so far.
The treatment will be absolutely free, including free medicine, free hospital stay, free travelling allowance upto a permissible limit.
Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Nagaland Mission is designed to reach out to the people of Nagaland who are suffering from cleft lip and cleft palate. Nagaland has about 3300 people living with cleft lip and palate.
Many are unable to avail the treatment due to financial constraint and unaware of the free treatment facility. One operation may cost Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 in other institutions, but Smile Train Shija Cleft Project offers surgery absolutely free for those aged 6 months onwards.
For appointment, contact Oking Hospital & Research Clinic, Kohima at 0370- 2290146, 2290080.
About Smile Train Shija Cleft Project
Apart from Mission Nagaland, Smile Train Shija Cleft Project reaches to the masses of North East India and also Myanmar. Mission Barak, Mission Ukhrul, Mission Senapati, Mission Myanmar, and Mission Churachandpur are some of its projects.
Smile Train is an NGO launched in 1998 with a goal to eradicate the global problem of cleft lips and palates. Smile Train Inc. headquarters 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 650,000 safe, quality surgeries across India, totally free of cost.
About cleft lip and palate
Cleft is a separation or gap in the body structure. Clefts that occur in the oral – facial region often involve the lip, the roof of the mouth (hard palate) of soft tissue in the back of the mouth (soft palate). Two major types of oral-facial clefts are cleft lip/palate and isolated cleft palate.
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, are not allowed to attend school or hold a job and face very difficult lives.
Cleft lip should be corrected at six months and palate at 14 months to offer the best result.
One in every 600 to 800 live birth is born with cleft 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,” a leaflet received here stated.
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