43rd phase of Smile Train Shija Cleft Project Mission Nagaland conducted

IMPHAL, Jul 1
The 43rd phase of Smile Train Shija Cleft Project Mission Nagaland was successfully conducted from June 26 to 29, 2022 at Oking Hospital & Research Clinic (P) Ltd, Kohima.
It was 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, said a press release by Shija Hospitals and Research Institute.
During the camp, a team of Smile Train partner surgeons from Shija Hospitals performed corrective surgeries on 44 children giving them a new lease of life. The surgeries were funded by Smile Train, a non-profit organization and charity that provides free corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates.
The camp not only provided free corrective surgery but also free accommodation, free medicine and travelling allowances (up to a permissible limit) to the patients and their attendants while the Faith Harvest Church, Kohima provided free food to the Smile Train patients and their families during the camp.
The Smile Train Shija Cleft Project-Mission Nagaland, was formally launched by the then Governor of Nagaland K Sankaranarayanan, on February 11, 2009. More than 693 cleft patients from Nagaland have received free treatment under this project till date and still counting.
Cleft lip (openings or splits in the upper lip) and cleft palate (openings or splits in the roof of the mouth) are among the most common birth defects. Cleft lip should be corrected from the age of 6 months onwards and cleft palate from 14 months onwards to achieve the best results, added the press release.