Patna, Aug 25: Children in Bihar suffering from cleft lip and palate will now be able to undergo free surgery under a five-year partnership between the State Health Committee and Smile Train India, officials said.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the two organisations to identify affected children and facilitate their treatment through Smile Train’s network of partner hospitals in the state.
Under the agreement, teams of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), along with frontline health workers, will identify children with cleft conditions and help them access free surgical treatment.
Smile Train will also organise cleft-awareness workshops for RBSK personnel to strengthen identification and referral of children requiring treatment.
The identified children will be referred to three Smile Train partner hospitals in Bihar, where they will receive free surgery and related treatment.
The State Health Committee said the collaboration would help the state “leverage their proven expertise and robust infrastructure” to improve access to timely treatment for children with cleft conditions.
The initiative is aimed at ensuring that children, particularly those who may otherwise face difficulties accessing specialised treatment, are identified early and receive necessary surgical care.
Smile Train said it has supported more than 8 lakh cleft surgeries across India.
“We have supported over 800,000 surgeries across India,” said Mamta Carol, Senior Vice President of Smile Train.
“This includes approximately 35,000 surgeries in Bihar, which have taken place since 2006,” she said.
The five-year partnership is expected to strengthen awareness, identification and referral mechanisms for children with cleft lip and palate across Bihar, officials said.
