Four surgeries restore normalcy for cleft patients;

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Four corrective surgeries have helped a teenage girl born with a torn palate and cleft lip move closer to a normal life, marking a key outcome of the 49th free plastic surgery camp organised by the Lions Club of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Chikalthana. On the second day of the camp on December 15, surgeries were performed on 45 patients suffering from congenital deformities and injuries.

Fourteen-year-old Bushra Ismail Shaikh from Harsul, who earlier faced severe feeding difficulties, has undergone phased surgeries since the age of three. Her cleft lip and palate were repaired in stages, followed by corrective lip and nasal surgeries. Her mother said Bushra is recovering well and is expected to live a normal life after one final surgery next year.

The camp is being organised in memory of Padma Shri Dr Sharadkumar Dicksheet in collaboration with MGM Hospital and the Chemists and Druggists Association. Patients with cleft lips, nasal deformities, drooping eyelids, strabismus, burn scars and facial deformities are being treated.

The surgical team was led by Dr Raj Lala from the US, assisted by MGM doctors Dr Ankita Khalekar, Dr Harshada Gondhali, Dr Sudesh Kumar, Dr Shrinkhala Sangai and Dr Jeshthraj Patangekar.

Among other beneficiaries, eight-year-old Ehjaan Khan from Jamner, born without a nasal tip, is undergoing staged treatment for the third consecutive year. Amol Amritwad (15) from Nanded underwent surgery for a drooping eyelid, while Prem Kale (12) from Sillod was treated for a large nasal growth.On the first day of the camp, 38 surgeries were performed, while on the second day, the number rose to 45 surgeries.

Lions Club president Rajesh Shukla, secretary Sudarshan Potbhare, treasurer Narendra Jadhav and project head Gajanan Zhalwar, and co-project heads Vinod Agrawal, Bhushan Joshi, Kalyani Shukla, Ramesh Pokarna, Vinod Chaudhary, Rajendra Loya, Mohan Himpalnekar, Rajkumar Tibdiwala, Ravindra Karvande, Ambadas Pale, R. B. Vaidya and Prakash Gothi, along with Shaikh Rais of the Chemists and Druggists Association, Sachin Mugdiya, Shakeel Arefi, Ganesh Bansode, Prabhakar Bakal and Satish Thole, are working for the successful conduct of the camp.