Bhatkal: A free check-up camp for the children with cleft lips will be jointly organized by Rotary Club Bhatkal, Vijay Charitable Trust, Mangalore and Highland Hospital Mangalore will be held in the Shakir's Diagnomed Veekay Complex, NH-17, Bhatkal, on 30th of March from 9 am to 1:30 pm.

A blog post looking at "FLYING ON ONE ENGINE", a film that captures the story of the severely disabled Dr. Dicksheet, a man who has donated his surgical skills to the cause of alleviating suffering among India’s poor. The film both highlights the problems of cleft lip and other congenital deformities, and also tells the dramatic story of a person risking his life to help those in need.

MANIPAL: The Manipal University with the support from Dr Vasanth Prabhu of Rotary Club of Chester County, Lionville, USA, is launching a project to make Udupi the first ‘Near Cleft Lip/ Palate Free’ district in India.

Zurich-based Cleft-Children International (CCI) offers free corrective surgery through its five specialised medical centres in India - it is planning to set up ten more.

In the remote area of Ladakh, India, life is often a mix of suffering and courage, and Dr. Vijay Dixit has seen it first hand - this is his story.

By Christina Stolarz

Social ostracism is routine for those born with a cleft lip, but a doctor in Thrissur has been giving poor children their smiles back by performing free surgeries. In fact, 77-year-old Dr Adenwala has created a world record of sorts by performing over 12,000 surgeries on cleft lips.