1093 patients in Meghalaya suffering from cleft lips, palates successfully operated upon under Smile Train Project
SHILLONG: Woodland Hospital, Shillong, has managed to bring back the smiles of thousands of people suffering from cleft palates and lips, especially young children and new born babies.
The Hospital has been providing a ray of hope to impoverished patients suffering from cleft lips and palates by providing free treatment to them.
Woodland Hospital is sponsored by the Smile Train Project, which is an international charity organization that provides free surgery for cleft lip and palate to people all around the world.
The Hospital provides free surgery to anyone between the age of three months and 40 years with cleft lip and palate.
“We have conducted 1093 operations since January, 2007,” managing director of Woodland Hospital, Dr. Werlok Kharshiing said, while talking to a group of journalist here on Thursday.
While giving the break up, Kharshiing said that in 2007, they had conducted a total number of 142 operations while the number of operations conducted in 2008 was 175.
“In 2009, we had conducted a total number of 154 operations. Again in 2010, the total number of operations conducted by the hospital was 144,” he said.
He further informed that the total number of operations conducted in 2011 was 143 while in 2012, the number of operations carried out successfully was 133.
“In 2013, the hospital conducted a total number of 137 operations while in the current year we have already conducted a total number of 65 operations,” Dr. Kharshiing informed.
According to him, cleft palates and lips is one of the commonest congenital deformities and is mainly hereditary and caused due to lack of nutrition and vitamins in mothers.
“In most cases, the cause of cleft lip and cleft palate is unknown. These conditions cannot be prevented. Most scientists believe that clefts are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There appears to be a greater chance of clefts in a newborn if a sibling, parent, or relative has had the problem,” the doctor said.
He informed that maximum number of patients suffering from cleft palates and lips have been detected in West Khasi Hills and in villages bordering East and West Khasi Hills.
“It is found that the people coming from low income groups are commonly detected to be suffering from this congenial deformity. It is because of this reason that majority of the patients who are suffering from this deformity hails from the rural areas,” Dr. Kharshiing said.
According to Kharshiing, under this programme, the patients are not only provided free operation, but also free accommodation in hospital and food till they fully recover and also provided fare to travel back to their villages.
The entire treatment requires about a week’s time for cleft lips while it takes around 10 days for cleft palate and the treatment can stretch up to 2-3 months in cases of combined cleft; since in combined cases, operations have to be done in two phases, the doctor informed.