India's first cleft toll-free helpline launched

India's first cleft toll-free helpline launched
Kulsum Mustafa

VARANASI: A historic step was taken in the direction of cleft treatment when India’s first cleft and palate patients’ toll-free helpline was launched from Varanasi- the world’s cleft treatment capital recently.

Declaring 18001800125 as cleft patients’ helpline, Dr Subodh Kumar Singh of G S Memorial surgery hospital and trauma centre, Varanasi, said this will give the parents of cleft children the welcome chance to get answers to all their queries. The launch was part of the celebrations of ‘Muskan festival’-the annual event organized by the hospital for the last several years. This year the celebrations had been up-scaled as the awareness campaign for cleft has received an impetus after the Smile Pinkie documentary on cleft received the Oscar award. Pinkie hails from Mirzapur in Varanasi and it was Dr Singh who performed the operation on her at G S Hospital that changed her life for ever.

The vice president of Smile Train, Mrs. Delois Green wood declared the helpline open at the hospital on November 21. Ms Greenwood and a galaxy of Smile Train associates and supporters were in Varanasi as special invitees from US on the special day. They included US Television popular star Jane Kaez Mareck, Meg, Karen, Robert, Yuan, US industrialists Mr. Clark Kokich, Lisa Kokich Strain, Suzie Kokich Strain,

“Participating in the ‘Smile festival’ organized annually at Varanasi is a truly ‘heavenly’ experience,” said Jane as she interacted with several parents of cleft children.
The hospital was abuzz with activities. The hospital premise, situated in the heart of the Holy City, is decorated with balloons and buntings on this special day. It is the venue of thanks giving by those cleft kids who have returned for the annual check-up. There were hundred of parents carrying their babies waiting to get dates for the operation. While many have come from nearby villages some of them have traveled hundreds of miles, from other districts and states to reach the ‘world capital of cleft treatment.’ Additional corrective surgery, after the miraculous operation. There were hundreds of new cleft patients who had come with hope and faith in the miracles of modern day surgery. Over five hundred cleft children were registered by noon and the dates of operations given to them for the next few months. According to rough estimates 15,00 cleft operations are conducting here monthly.

“From misery to joy it is simply a matter of just an hour’s surgery and all totally free. The transformation in both the physical and psychological is unbelievable,” said Mr Satish Kalra, South Asian representative of Smile Train.

Overwhelmed by the traditional welcome and the sight of hundreds of cleft children, some just a few months old Lisa had to fight back tears as she said how happy she was to be part of the endeavor that is giving “children another chance.”

Dr Subodh Kumar Singh, the miracle surgeon for cleft in India heads the hospital which is affiliated to ‘Smile Train’- the international NGO that works in 76 countries and offers totally free treatment for poor children with cleft. In India alone they have supported two lakh cleft surgeries in the last nine years.

Known as the surgeon who put the smile on the lips of Pinkie- the protagonist of Oscar winning documentary ‘Smile Pinkie” Dr Singh has through Pinkie given all cleft patients a hope. He has made them believe that cleft is not permanent, that there is a new life waiting for them after a simple operation. He is the doctor who has made gifting smiles his business. He has been doing so for the last five years.

“Smile train has given back the smile to 500, 000, mainly poor children and their parents. But India is special, and more so is Varanasi because this is the city of Pinkie- the little girl who told an extraordinary story to the world and created awareness through her film. We want to make more Pinkies Smile.” She said.

Dr Singh while welcoming this awareness generation that has taken place with the support of the media said, “Our work is not over, In fact it has just begun. In India we have a backlog of 10,000 children of cleft who need to be operated upon.”

“A child who had been looked upon by society as a curse, and treated as a bad omen by her neighbors, gets a totally new face, personality in a matter of minutes. And the child does what he has never done before- smile. Seeing a post operative cleft child smile can make the eyes of most stout man turn misty,” said Dr V C Gupta, chief anesthetic, in his vote of thanks at the function.

Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)

India's first cleft toll-free helpline launched

India's first cleft toll-free helpline launched
Kulsum Mustafa

VARANASI: A historic step was taken in the direction of cleft treatment when India’s first cleft and palate patients’ toll-free helpline was launched from Varanasi- the world’s cleft treatment capital recently.

Declaring 18001800125 as cleft patients’ helpline, Dr Subodh Kumar Singh of G S Memorial surgery hospital and trauma centre, Varanasi, said this will give the parents of cleft children the welcome chance to get answers to all their queries. The launch was part of the celebrations of ‘Muskan festival’-the annual event organized by the hospital for the last several years. This year the celebrations had been up-scaled as the awareness campaign for cleft has received an impetus after the Smile Pinkie documentary on cleft received the Oscar award. Pinkie hails from Mirzapur in Varanasi and it was Dr Singh who performed the operation on her at G S Hospital that changed her life for ever.

The vice president of Smile Train, Mrs. Delois Green wood declared the helpline open at the hospital on November 21. Ms Greenwood and a galaxy of Smile Train associates and supporters were in Varanasi as special invitees from US on the special day. They included US Television popular star Jane Kaez Mareck, Meg, Karen, Robert, Yuan, US industrialists Mr. Clark Kokich, Lisa Kokich Strain, Suzie Kokich Strain,

“Participating in the ‘Smile festival’ organized annually at Varanasi is a truly ‘heavenly’ experience,” said Jane as she interacted with several parents of cleft children.
The hospital was abuzz with activities. The hospital premise, situated in the heart of the Holy City, is decorated with balloons and buntings on this special day. It is the venue of thanks giving by those cleft kids who have returned for the annual check-up. There were hundred of parents carrying their babies waiting to get dates for the operation. While many have come from nearby villages some of them have traveled hundreds of miles, from other districts and states to reach the ‘world capital of cleft treatment.’ Additional corrective surgery, after the miraculous operation. There were hundreds of new cleft patients who had come with hope and faith in the miracles of modern day surgery. Over five hundred cleft children were registered by noon and the dates of operations given to them for the next few months. According to rough estimates 15,00 cleft operations are conducting here monthly.

“From misery to joy it is simply a matter of just an hour’s surgery and all totally free. The transformation in both the physical and psychological is unbelievable,” said Mr Satish Kalra, South Asian representative of Smile Train.

Overwhelmed by the traditional welcome and the sight of hundreds of cleft children, some just a few months old Lisa had to fight back tears as she said how happy she was to be part of the endeavor that is giving “children another chance.”

Dr Subodh Kumar Singh, the miracle surgeon for cleft in India heads the hospital which is affiliated to ‘Smile Train’- the international NGO that works in 76 countries and offers totally free treatment for poor children with cleft. In India alone they have supported two lakh cleft surgeries in the last nine years.

Known as the surgeon who put the smile on the lips of Pinkie- the protagonist of Oscar winning documentary ‘Smile Pinkie” Dr Singh has through Pinkie given all cleft patients a hope. He has made them believe that cleft is not permanent, that there is a new life waiting for them after a simple operation. He is the doctor who has made gifting smiles his business. He has been doing so for the last five years.

“Smile train has given back the smile to 500, 000, mainly poor children and their parents. But India is special, and more so is Varanasi because this is the city of Pinkie- the little girl who told an extraordinary story to the world and created awareness through her film. We want to make more Pinkies Smile.” She said.

Dr Singh while welcoming this awareness generation that has taken place with the support of the media said, “Our work is not over, In fact it has just begun. In India we have a backlog of 10,000 children of cleft who need to be operated upon.”

“A child who had been looked upon by society as a curse, and treated as a bad omen by her neighbors, gets a totally new face, personality in a matter of minutes. And the child does what he has never done before- smile. Seeing a post operative cleft child smile can make the eyes of most stout man turn misty,” said Dr V C Gupta, chief anesthetic, in his vote of thanks at the function.

Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)

Senior journalists to attend 'Media for Children' anniversary on November 13

Senior journalists to attend 'Media for Children' anniversary on November 13

India's Children's Day on November 14

Senior national and state journalists, including former BBC broadcaster Mr Satish Jacob, will be participating in the first anniversary celebration of Media for Children (M4C) on November 13. UNICEF chief of field staff, Uttar Pradesh, Ms Adele Khudr has also confirmed to attend.

Mr Augustine Veliath UNICEF communication specialist and Mr Pushpendra Kulshreta, secretary Press Club of India, New Delhi are the other panelists. On 13th November 2009, M4C celebrate the anniversary of what can be termed as ‘media movement for children’.
Media Nest, a Lucknow based pan –India forum of media professionals, has been organizing this bi-monthly event at the Uttar Pradesh Press Club with the support of UNICEF since November 2008.

The forum which works for the welfare of journalists and their family has veteran journalist Kuldip Nayyar as its chief patron. Naveen Joshi, resident editor, Dainik Hindustan, Lucknow, broadcaster KK Nayar, BBC state correspondent Ramdutt Tripathi and IANS contributor Sharad Pradhan are patrons of this media forum.

Media Nest has on this very special occasion invited all its members, as well as those NGOs and individuals who are working for children, to come together and jointly herald in India's Children’s Day in the true spirit of celebration.

"We have through this media event attempted to ensure that the children of Uttar Pradesh, especially those from the under-privileged section of society get a voice, their demands are heard and their pain shared," said Ms Kulsum Talha, secretary general of Media Nest.

The programme will begin with a presentation by Sahyog, a NGO working for women health and gender equality. The NGO will release a youth policy on the eve of India's Children's Day. The panelists will be former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University - Professor Roop Rekha Verma - and Dr Neelam Singh.

The second part of the programme will focus on how media can be partners in promoting women and children issues. Media as voice of children and partners in development issues. The two hour programme will begin at 2 pm.

In the earlier 23 sessions M4C has focused media attention on AIDS-affected children, held an interaction with Dr Subodh Singh, the doctor who made Pinki Smile (girl with cleft lips), talked on how the state of sanitation is affecting the life of children in Uttar Pradesh, focused media attentions on the state of Minority children and their battle to get equal rights and full citizenships, UP's missing children, the state of justice in women's courts, and other key issues.

Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)

Published in:
Elites TV News, USA
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Thai-Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan
The Brunei Times
Celebrifi.com

Senior journalists to attend 'Media for Children' anniversary on November 13

Senior journalists to attend 'Media for Children' anniversary on November 13

India's Children's Day on November 14

Senior national and state journalists, including former BBC broadcaster Mr Satish Jacob, will be participating in the first anniversary celebration of Media for Children (M4C) on November 13. UNICEF chief of field staff, Uttar Pradesh, Ms Adele Khudr has also confirmed to attend.

Mr Augustine Veliath UNICEF communication specialist and Mr Pushpendra Kulshreta, secretary Press Club of India, New Delhi are the other panelists. On 13th November 2009, M4C celebrate the anniversary of what can be termed as ‘media movement for children’.
Media Nest, a Lucknow based pan –India forum of media professionals, has been organizing this bi-monthly event at the Uttar Pradesh Press Club with the support of UNICEF since November 2008.

The forum which works for the welfare of journalists and their family has veteran journalist Kuldip Nayyar as its chief patron. Naveen Joshi, resident editor, Dainik Hindustan, Lucknow, broadcaster KK Nayar, BBC state correspondent Ramdutt Tripathi and IANS contributor Sharad Pradhan are patrons of this media forum.

Media Nest has on this very special occasion invited all its members, as well as those NGOs and individuals who are working for children, to come together and jointly herald in India's Children’s Day in the true spirit of celebration.

"We have through this media event attempted to ensure that the children of Uttar Pradesh, especially those from the under-privileged section of society get a voice, their demands are heard and their pain shared," said Ms Kulsum Talha, secretary general of Media Nest.

The programme will begin with a presentation by Sahyog, a NGO working for women health and gender equality. The NGO will release a youth policy on the eve of India's Children's Day. The panelists will be former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University - Professor Roop Rekha Verma - and Dr Neelam Singh.

The second part of the programme will focus on how media can be partners in promoting women and children issues. Media as voice of children and partners in development issues. The two hour programme will begin at 2 pm.

In the earlier 23 sessions M4C has focused media attention on AIDS-affected children, held an interaction with Dr Subodh Singh, the doctor who made Pinki Smile (girl with cleft lips), talked on how the state of sanitation is affecting the life of children in Uttar Pradesh, focused media attentions on the state of Minority children and their battle to get equal rights and full citizenships, UP's missing children, the state of justice in women's courts, and other key issues.

Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)

Published in:
Elites TV News, USA
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Thai-Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan
The Brunei Times
Celebrifi.com

'Smile Pinkie' opens for Indian audiences: Grand finale was in Varanasi on October 9

'Smile Pinkie' opens for Indian audiences
Grand finale was in Varanasi on October 9
Kulsum Mustafa

LUCKNOW: Eight months after 'Smile Pinkie', won the Oscar at the 81st Academy Award function for documentary on the lives of children with cleft on 23 February 2009, the film opened up for Indian audiences in Mumbai. The 39 minute documentary, which has remained the global hot favorite of the social and development sector, is being screened in cinema halls of Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi. The red carpet grand finale was held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the home district of both the protagonist of the film, Pinkie and Dr Subodh Singh, the plastic surgeon who operated on Pinkie.

Dr Singh, head of GS Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Centre Varanasi, is part of the surgeons team attached to 'Smile Train' mission, an international charity that helps children with cleft and palate deformity.

Over 1.5 lakh surgeries have been done all over India on children with cleft. Dr Singh and his team have done 13,000 operations in Varanasi in the past five years. Over 160 hospitals and 250 surgeons are associated with Smile Train in India.

Smile Pinkie is a real world fairy tale that brings into focus the world of Dr Singh who is providing free surgery to fix the cleft lip of poor young children. The central character of the film is the six year old Pinkie - who is a poor rural girl living with her cleft chin deformity. The film was shot in Varanasi and Mirzapur. The director of the film Megan Mylan, Dr Singh, and Pinkie were all part of the team that was present for the opening. The film has not been dubbed but carries the original sounds.

Media Nest, a Lucknow based pan India media professions organization that works for the welfare of journalists and their families had in collaboration with UNICEF screened the movie for a private audience at Uttar Pradesh Press Club in March 2009. Dr Singh had on the occasion addressed the media and expressed his mission to wipe out cleft from every corner of India. "When journalists ask me what are my future plans I tell them: Simply to go out of business" said Dr Singh.

So strong is his sense of commitment to the cause that for him this Oscar is a means to get to every nook and corner of India wherein lurks a cleft child. Every person that he meets he asks them only one thing, "please bring any child with cleft to me."

In fact after winning the Oscar Dr Singh said, "This Oscar is not for one Pinkie but thousands of Pinkies who are still hiding in dark corners, waiting to see light again."

The transformation that Dr Singh has brought into the life of Pinkie is unbelievable. The girl who had no voice some months back, avoided people and used to hide behind the sari pallu of her mother is today a confident, normal child.

The narrative in 'Smile Pinkie' is so simple and natural. It touches your heart and moistens your eyes. The film, which is neither dubbed nor has any sub-titles plays totally on your emotional intellect. It brings out so vividly the trauma, the tragedy depression and severe inferiority complex that a child with cleft undergoes. Suffering from high degree of inferiority complex these children become recluse. These kids are considered evil and bad omen. Shunned by the young and old like all cleft deformed children Pinkie was not allowed to be part of any auspicious occasion. She was ridiculed and teased in school, children called her named and refused to make her part of their world. Slowly like all such children Pinkie also stayed away from them. She built her own world where noone was allowed to enter. She built a wall around herself.

The Smile Train team had the difficult task of convincing Pinkie's parents and Pinkie herself to break this wall, and enter the real world. A reluctant Pinkie took the step forward and what happened is before the world to see.

Fame and recognition was not what Dr Singh has been looking for. "For me every child that is brought to me is like an Oscar nomination, when the child leaves my hospital after the surgery it is an Oscar award, by now I have thousands of Oscars," says the doctor who has made cleft operations his mission in life. Why the Oscars matter to Dr Singh is because it will help him speed up his work, bring awareness and focus on an issue that has long been neglected.

Smile Train has through doctors like Dr Singh taken on a yeoman task- that of bringing back to life little innocent souls who have lost their zeal to live a normal life ever. To such children whose life Smile Train has touched one can feel the magical transformation.

Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)

Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
World News Report
Movie Industry Today
Twitter.com
Wikio.com
Inboxrobot.com

'Smile Pinkie' opens for Indian audiences: Grand finale was in Varanasi on October 9

'Smile Pinkie' opens for Indian audiences
Grand finale was in Varanasi on October 9
Kulsum Mustafa

LUCKNOW: Eight months after 'Smile Pinkie', won the Oscar at the 81st Academy Award function for documentary on the lives of children with cleft on 23 February 2009, the film opened up for Indian audiences in Mumbai. The 39 minute documentary, which has remained the global hot favorite of the social and development sector, is being screened in cinema halls of Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi. The red carpet grand finale was held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the home district of both the protagonist of the film, Pinkie and Dr Subodh Singh, the plastic surgeon who operated on Pinkie.

Dr Singh, head of GS Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Centre Varanasi, is part of the surgeons team attached to 'Smile Train' mission, an international charity that helps children with cleft and palate deformity.

Over 1.5 lakh surgeries have been done all over India on children with cleft. Dr Singh and his team have done 13,000 operations in Varanasi in the past five years. Over 160 hospitals and 250 surgeons are associated with Smile Train in India.

Smile Pinkie is a real world fairy tale that brings into focus the world of Dr Singh who is providing free surgery to fix the cleft lip of poor young children. The central character of the film is the six year old Pinkie - who is a poor rural girl living with her cleft chin deformity. The film was shot in Varanasi and Mirzapur. The director of the film Megan Mylan, Dr Singh, and Pinkie were all part of the team that was present for the opening. The film has not been dubbed but carries the original sounds.

Media Nest, a Lucknow based pan India media professions organization that works for the welfare of journalists and their families had in collaboration with UNICEF screened the movie for a private audience at Uttar Pradesh Press Club in March 2009. Dr Singh had on the occasion addressed the media and expressed his mission to wipe out cleft from every corner of India. "When journalists ask me what are my future plans I tell them: Simply to go out of business" said Dr Singh.

So strong is his sense of commitment to the cause that for him this Oscar is a means to get to every nook and corner of India wherein lurks a cleft child. Every person that he meets he asks them only one thing, "please bring any child with cleft to me."

In fact after winning the Oscar Dr Singh said, "This Oscar is not for one Pinkie but thousands of Pinkies who are still hiding in dark corners, waiting to see light again."

The transformation that Dr Singh has brought into the life of Pinkie is unbelievable. The girl who had no voice some months back, avoided people and used to hide behind the sari pallu of her mother is today a confident, normal child.

The narrative in 'Smile Pinkie' is so simple and natural. It touches your heart and moistens your eyes. The film, which is neither dubbed nor has any sub-titles plays totally on your emotional intellect. It brings out so vividly the trauma, the tragedy depression and severe inferiority complex that a child with cleft undergoes. Suffering from high degree of inferiority complex these children become recluse. These kids are considered evil and bad omen. Shunned by the young and old like all cleft deformed children Pinkie was not allowed to be part of any auspicious occasion. She was ridiculed and teased in school, children called her named and refused to make her part of their world. Slowly like all such children Pinkie also stayed away from them. She built her own world where noone was allowed to enter. She built a wall around herself.

The Smile Train team had the difficult task of convincing Pinkie's parents and Pinkie herself to break this wall, and enter the real world. A reluctant Pinkie took the step forward and what happened is before the world to see.

Fame and recognition was not what Dr Singh has been looking for. "For me every child that is brought to me is like an Oscar nomination, when the child leaves my hospital after the surgery it is an Oscar award, by now I have thousands of Oscars," says the doctor who has made cleft operations his mission in life. Why the Oscars matter to Dr Singh is because it will help him speed up his work, bring awareness and focus on an issue that has long been neglected.

Smile Train has through doctors like Dr Singh taken on a yeoman task- that of bringing back to life little innocent souls who have lost their zeal to live a normal life ever. To such children whose life Smile Train has touched one can feel the magical transformation.

Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)

Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
World News Report
Movie Industry Today
Twitter.com
Wikio.com
Inboxrobot.com