ONGOLE: Prakasam Collector Thameem Ansariya opened a free screening camp for cleft lip and palate at the Government General Hospital (GGH-RIMS), Ongole, under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) programme on Wednesday.
The camp is conducted in collaboration with Smile Train Foundation and Vijayawada Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Medical College. The district’s Medical and Health Department identified 30 children suffering from cleft lip and palate across the district, including 15 from the Markapur region. Ansariya said, “Each surgery costs around Rs 50,000, with a total expenditure of Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakh per child for three surgeries. Speech therapy will also be provided after surgery.”