IMPHAL, May 18: The Shija Smile train cleft project undertaken by Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI) has now undertaken the second leg of its tie in with the SSA through which school students are being brought in through teachers. Addressing a press conference, Dr Kh Palin, MD SHRI and Smile Train Surgeon said that its smaile train project which started from June 10, 2010 has treated above 3600 patients free of cost.
Informing that the first initiative along with SSA had given treatment to 10 children by March 2013.
After giving awareness about the project. the teachers of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) will contact SHRI and the patients will be transported to the hospital. SSA will bear Rs 1500 each to take care of the fooding during the stay and the treatment will be done by Shija Hospitals free of cost, he added.
He also said, “There will be no stigma then and the children can go to school. Let’s get them treated and cured so they can go to school.”
During the press conference, Bhogendra Ng, Addl State Project Director SSA said the Smile train Shija- SSA cleft project is being initiated to remove social stigma so that such children can go to school.
There are many such children who are out of school. Hopefully the cleft project will be able to cover all of them by awareness through festoon, posture, radio, TV, newspaper etc, he added.