From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Happiness of the parents of eight-month-old Bismita Rajbongshi knew no bounds when they found that the cleft-lip of their tiny daughter had been rectified commendably by the team of doctors working in Operation Smile Comprehensive Cleft Care Clinic at the government-run Mohendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital here.
Bishmita happened to be the 5000 th patients whose smiles have been restored by this team of doctors and surgeons. ‘Operation Smile’ has succeeded to bringing the smile back to over 5000 children and their parents during the last two years in Assam while operating wonderfully under private public partnership (PPP) mode in the state.
The Chairman, Operation Smile, India, Ranjit Barthakur said, “Nowhere else in the country but Assam the cleft-free mission has been such a tremendous success. It has brought smiles to 5,000 children and their families. We are focused on living up to the challenges of providing treatment to 10,000 children with cleft deformities in the country in the next two years.”
“The best thing about the entire exercise is that doctors from 20 countries from different backgrounds have joined hands with local doctors and nurses with the mission to make Assam a cleft-free State,” he said.
Terming the completion of 5,000 cleft-lip surgeries at the centre as a ‘great success’, chief minister Gogoi complimented the entire team consisting of visiting and local doctors, para-medics and nurses, for the wonderful team work. “The manner in which the team has been carrying the work on a missionary zeal, the day is not far off when Assam will become a completely cleft-free State,” Gogoi said saluting the founder of Operation Smile, Dr. William P. Magee
Attributing the ‘Operation Smile’ exercise in Assam as a classic example of success under PPP mode, Assam health minister Dr H B Sarma said, “The huge success of the programme lies in the fact that each and every constituent be it Operation Smile, Govt. of Assam, NRHM, Assam and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust & Allied Trusts have worked in tandem and with a missionary zeal.”
‘Operation Smile’ was set off in Assam in January 2009 and till date it has treated 5,125 patients out of which 2,069 at the cleft care centre in Guwahati. The target set for the coming financial year is 3,000 patients.