Imphal, October 21: 'My son was born as a deformed person with cleft lip and palate, but Shija Hospital and Research Institute has given him a new life', said T Paominlien who came from New Lamka of Churachandpur for treating his son at the hospital.

Looking at the face of his 3 years and two months old son T Kamzalam with a contented smile on his lips, Paominlien said 'I had earlier given up hope of seeing the new face of my son'.

The biggest fear of Paominlien, who drives a rickshaw in Churachandpur Bazar to eke out a living, was how his son would go to school and around with other people when he grows up.

Some one and half years back, Paominlien treated his son for cleft lip at RIMS Hospital spending around Rs 14,000.After the success of the operation, the doctors advised him that treatment of his son should be continued for the cleft palate as well, as his son would not be able to speak properly otherwise.

But Paominlien did not have the required money for the treatment and his son continued to suffer from speech impairment.

'The money borrowed from other people at the time of performing the first operation has not been repaid till today', Paominlien disclosed.

When asked how he came to know about the Smile Train Shija Cleft Project being taken up by Shija Hospital and Research Institute at Langol, Paominlien said that he learnt about the project from some of his rickshaw driver colleagues and came to the hospital with just Rs 120 in his pocket.

On arriving at the hospital, he was told to get an OPD ticket costing Rs 300.Since he did not have that much amount, he was about to leave when the personnel manning the OPD enquired about the nature of the illness.

When Paominlien told them about the problem of his son, the OPD personnel assured him that he would not need to spend any money on the treatment of his son.

'At that moment, I was very happy and realised that what people have been talking about (free treatment of patients with cleft lip and palate cases) is right', Paominlien recalled.

Subsequently, the medical experts of the hospital performed operation on his son and corrected the deformity.

In her broken Manipuri, T Khamzaching, mother of Kamzalam said 'my son looks good now.

May God bless Shija Hospital always'.

Although the exact causes of children born with cleft lip and palate have not yet been deciphered, it is said 10 cases out of every 100 children born with cleft lip and palate are due to hereditary factor.

Moreover, a virus called Rubella that enters the womb of a pregnant woman may also cause this problem apart from other minor factors like the side effects of the medicines taken during pregnancy and X-rays taken.

In India around 35,000 children are born with cleft lip and palate every year and discrimination against such children is rampant.

It is with the goal of eradicating the global problem of cleft lips and palates that the Smile Train Cleft Project was launched by the USA-based NGO Smile Train in 1998, said Chairman cum Managing Director of Shija Hospital Dr Kh Palin.

The same Project is being implemented by Shija Hospital since June 11, 2006 and out of the initial target of performing operation on 750 patients, 839 patients suffering from cleft lips and palates have been operated upon till September 28 this year.

The facility of the Smile Train can be enjoyed by patients who are between the age group of 4 months to 40 years.

Apart from meeting the medical expenses required for the operation, travelling allowances are also being given to the patients.

Toys, dresses and school bags are also given free of cost to the young patients.

Among the 839 patients who have been operated upon by Shija Hospital, 25 of them were doing business, 11 of them were farmers, 370 of them were students, 2 were in Government service besides one housewife, one nurse and one policeman.

Five of the patients are from Assam, two from Bihar, 1 one from Mizoram, 26 from Nagaland, 89 from Bishnupur district, 54 from Churachandpur district, 18 from Chandel district, 138 from Imphal East, 234 from Imphal West, 100 from Senapati district, 22 from Tamenglong district, 120 from Thoubal District and 30 from Ukhrul district.

Dr Palin informed that in order to expand the benefit of the Project to more and more people, awareness programmes would be launched in remote areas of the State very soon.

Efforts would also be made to provide admission to those young beneficiaries of the project who could not continue their studies in the schools, school uniforms, text books and tuition fee, he added.

Comment