• Free treatment package for cleft lip & palate
• About 3300 people living with cleft lip & palate
• Appeal to propagate free treatment package
Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 16
Following the announcement of the next phase of Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Nagaland Mission in collaboration with Oking Hospital Kohima, registration for availing free treatment for cleft lip and palate cases for the state of Nagaland is now opened.
Free surgical treatment is scheduled for April 29 to 30 at Oking Hospital, Kohima.
So far, Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Mission Nagaland rendered free surgery to over 600 persons living with cleft lip and palate since its introduction in 2007 at Oking Hospital.
Smile Train Shija Cleft Project- Nagaland Mission is designed to reach out to the people of Nagaland who are suffering from cleft lip and palate, said Dr. Kh. Palin, Smile Train Partner plastic surgeon of Shija Hospitals, Manipur.
From the population ratio, there are about 3300 people living with cleft lip and palate in Nagaland.
Many are unable to avail the treatment due to financial constraint and unaware of the free treatment facility. Per operation involved Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 in other institutions wherein Smile Train Shija Cleft Project offers surgery absolutely free from the age of 6 months onwards.
Dr. Palin said that apart for free treatment, it would also extend free medicines including travelling allowance between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000.
He asked the patients to get register one or two day ahead of the operation for necessary examination. They have been asked to contact Dr. Vikethonyu Kesiezie, Naga Hospital, Kohima. He also made a fervent appeal to the politicians, teachers, health workers and social activists to propagate this free treatment package in their respective areas so that those suffering from cleft lip and palate can come forward and avail free treatment and get a change to smile and enjoy new life.
Dr. Vikethonyu Kesiezie also made an earnest request to one and all to refer the cleft patients for free treatment and give them a new lease of life.
The eligibility to undergo the operation for cleft lip the patient should be 6 months old and for Cleft Palate the patient should be 14 months old.
About Smile Train Shija Cleft Project
Apart from Mission Nagaland, Smile Train Shija Cleft Project also reaches to the masses of north eastern part of India including Myanmar. It also undertakes Mission Barak, Mission Ukhrul, Mission Senapati, Mission Myanmar and Mission Churachandpur.
Smile Train is an NGO launched in 1998 with the goal to eradicate the global problem of cleft lips and palates.
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 650,000 safe, quality surgeries across India, totally free of cost.
About cleft lip and palate
A cleft 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.
Babies with cleft lip usually are accompanied by the cleft palate. In isolated cleft palate, the cleft palate occurs by itself, without cleft lip or other malformations.
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 filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache.
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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