Free Cleft Surgeries For Kids & Young Adults In Bengal
A collaborative healthcare initiative was launched in Kolkata to provide free, comprehensive cleft surgeries to children and young adults across West Bengal. The four-day surgical camp, running from July 3rd to 6th, 2026, represents a strategic partnership between the Muthoot Pappachan Foundation (the CSR arm of the Muthoot Pappachan Group), H.P. Ghosh Hospital, and Mission Smile. The mission aims to screen approximately 70 to 75 patients and perform at least 50 safe, successful surgeries.
The project’s launch was attended by prominent leaders from the financial, healthcare, and philanthropic sectors, including:
- Mr. Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Chairman of Bandhan Financial Services Limited.
- Dr. Prasanthkumar Nellickal, Head of CSR at Muthoot Pappachan Group.
- Mr. Bibil Jacob, Vice President of Muthoot FinCorp Ltd.
- Mr. Conrad G. Dennis, CEO of Mission Smile.
- Dr. Manish Mukul Ghosh, Eminent Plastic Surgeon of East India.
- Miss Suparna Sengupta, Associate Director of H.P. Ghosh Hospital.
This camp marks the 10th Smile Please mission in Kolkata and the first to be hosted at the 200-bed super-speciality H.P. Ghosh Hospital. Sponsored by the Muthoot Pappachan Foundation under its pan-India Smile Please initiative (launched in 2014), the program utilizes the extensive branch network of Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. and Muthoot Microfin Ltd. to conduct rural outreach and identify eligible patients.
To ensure comprehensive care and remove financial barriers, selected patients receive the following fully covered benefits:
- Free transportation, accommodation, and meals.
- Complete medical examinations, surgical procedures, and prescription medicines.
- Free post-operative care, speech therapy, and psychological counseling.
- A specialized one-year nutritional supplement program for patients diagnosed with malnutrition.
Cleft lip and palate deformities significantly impair speech, nutrition, and social integration for thousands of Indian youth. Since its inception in 2003, Mission Smile has conducted over 77,000 medical evaluations and performed more than 52,500 free surgeries across India, with 10,000 of those successfully executed within West Bengal. Backed by H.P. Ghosh Hospital’s state-of-the-art tertiary care facilities and a global network of over 1,800 volunteers, this joint initiative continues to deliver life-changing medical interventions to underserved communities.
Priyanka Dutta