Early surgery helps children with cleft lip and palate

Various facilities including immunisation, surgery, post-operative care, counselling and speech therapy are available for patients, according to Dr. S. Vivekanandam, Medical Superintendent.

Various facilities including immunisation, surgery, post-operative care, counselling and speech therapy are available for patients, according to Dr. S. Vivekanandam, Medical Superintendent.   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Over 150 healthcare workers sensitised to the deformities

Over 150 health care workers from in and around Puducherry attended a sensitisation programme on cleft lip and cleft palate deformities organised by the Department of Plastic Surgery, Jipmer and the Jipmer Smile Train Cleft Project (JSTCP).

At the inaugural address, Dr. B. Vishnu Bhat, Jipmer Director, emphasised on the need for early surgery in children with cleft lip and cleft palate to improve speech, appearance and feeding ability.

Dr. S. Vivekanandam, Medical Superintendent, highlighted the facilities, starting from immunisation, surgery, post-operative care, counselling and speech therapy available for the patients cleft lip with cleft lip. In July 2014, JSTCP tied up with Smile Train India and USA to provide free cleft surgery for hundreds of children at Jipmer.

Four sessions planned

The hospital has planned four such programmes in the upcoming months.

Interested people can contact Dr. S. Dinesh Kumar, Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, M. Rajeswari, Jipmer Smile Train Cleft Project or Dr. Devi Prasad Mohapatra, the Project Director of JSTCP through email - jipmersmiletrain @gmail.com