‘Smile Torch’ reaches holy city

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 4

Smile Train India, an international cleft care charitable organization and its partner hospitals, welcomed the ‘Smile Torch’ to the holy city on Wednesday. An event to create awareness about the problem and its treatment was organised at International Check Post, Attari, wherein cricketer Harbhajan Singh, DIG BSF Bhupender Singh, Dr Avtar Singh and Dr Amandeep Kaur from Amandeep Group of hospitals, which is providing services to children with cleft lip and palate in the city and other prominent personalities were present.

Smile Torch is a national initiative for creating renewed awareness about clefts and its treatment. The torch, which was launched on February 8 on National Cleft Day in Varanasi, had been travelling across India to help sensitize communities to the challenges faced by children born with clefts. Harbhajan Singh is Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train India.

Speaking about the initiative, Mamta Carrol, vice-president and regional director, Asia said, “The Smile Torch serves to remind communities that children with clefts have the right to smile and need our support. The accessibility and affordability are a huge challenge in cleft treatment,” she said.

Talking about the initiative, Harbhajan Singh said, “A child’s smile is a pure joy and it is hard to imagine that children born with clefts have difficulty in smiling, eating, speaking and breathing.” The good news is that cleft is treatable with surgery and related ancillary care children can go on to lead healthy and productive lives, he added.