PESHAWAR, Jan 4: A US-based charity organisation, Smile Train, has provided $5,000 to the plastic surgery unit of the Hayatabad Medical Complex for the treatment of children born with cleft lip and palate.

A local chapter of the charity has been set up in the NWFP – called “Karwan-i-Muskan” – which would be providing free treatment facilities to the affected children.

Talking to reporters, the coordinator of Karwan-i-Muskan, Dr Tehmeedullah, said that Smile Train had been established in the US in 1999 with a view to helping the children with the problem of cleft lip and palate. The organisation was helping the children in 55 countries around the globe and so far had provided treatment to more than 100,000 children.

Dr Tehmeedullah said that last year he had requested John B. Mulliken during a course in Thailand for looking into the problems faced by NWFP children suffering from cleft lip and palate.

Most of the children could not afford the cost of operation and subsequent treatment.

The Smile Train had now released $5,000 which would be spent on the treatment of needy children, he added.