Ashraya Hastha Trust and Smile Train India Announces Five-Year Commitment to Support Cleft Care Across Seven States in India

Bengaluru, July 21, 2022 – Ashraya Hastha Trust, a Bangalore-based charitable organization funded by Infosys’ Co-Founder K. Dinesh and his family and Smile Train India, the country’s largest cleft-focused NGO have announced a five-year partnership with an aim to boost the cleft care ecosystem in India. Ashraya Hastha Trust will support 10,000 cleft surgeries, five capacity-building pieces of training and safety medical equipment at Smile Train treatment centers across seven states including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir.

The partnership was launched with an event at Smile Train’s treatment partner, CHL Hospitals at Indore in the presence of Ms. Asha Dinesh, Trustee, Ashraya Hastha Trust, hospital cleft team, Smile Train officials, cleft patients and families.

“We have worked closely with Smile Train India in the past and are completely aligned with their efforts to support safe cleft treatment across the country. Their commitment and passion is unparalleled and inspiring,” said Ms. Asha Dinesh, trustee at Ashraya Hastha Trust. “The consequences faced by children with clefts, if not treated on time, are profound and often enduring. I have been a part of the cleft journey as my daughter Divya was born with a cleft. With proper treatment, she leads a normal life today as a successful woman entrepreneur. I empathize with mothers who may not have access to the care their children need to live healthy and full lives. With this partnership, we intend to work together to better facilitate safe, quality cleft care for children in need. We hope that we can collectively work towards making healthcare affordable and accessible and influence all the ecosystem stakeholders to make policy level changes so that no child with cleft is ever left behind ”

Speaking at the launch, Dr Jaideep Chauhan, Maxillofacial Surgeon and Smile Train Project Director at CHL Hospitals, Indore said, “We at CHL Hospital, with support from Smile Train India have managed to perform surgeries thus far. We are truly grateful to the additional support that Ashraya Hastha Trust has extended and we hope to continue our journey with cleft warriors diligently.The medical equipments, trainings and support that Smile Train and Ashraya Hastha Trust have provided us with is phenomenal and we hope to put it all to best use. Our aim is to ensure safe surgeries, promising forever smiles to children”

In India, an estimated 35,000 babies are born with a cleft lip and/or palate every year, and hundreds of thousands of children with untreated clefts live in isolation and face difficulties with eating, breathing, hearing and speaking. The partnership will focus on supporting cleft treatment in the seven identified states, while also strengthening safety and best practices in cleft care.

Mamta Carroll, Smile Train’s Senior Vice President & Regional Director for Asia, expressed her gratitude towards Ashraya Hastha Trust and their dedication towards the cause. She said, “Facilitating free, safe and quality cleft treatment is Smile Train India’s priority. With this prestigious partnership, we hope to continue supporting cleft surgeries by enabling underprivileged children born with clefts to live healthy and productive lives. We aim to strengthen our local cleft ecosystem and reach children in some of the most remote regions of the country.”