Guwahati, Nov 13: The Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Centre (GC4) of Mission Smile will present the Global Honour in Cleft Care award to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in recognition of his invaluable contributions to the organization’s impact.
The award ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 am at Hotel in Guwahati, according to GC4 operations head Dipul Malakar.
Notable attendees will include national and international representatives of Operation Smile, as well as Ranjit Barthakur, a founding member of Mission Smile.
“The award will be presented to the Chief Minister in recognition of Mission Smile’s completion of 25,000 safe cleft surgeries and Sarma’s significant contributions to the recovery of children living with cleft lip and palate in Assam. Sarma’s association with this initiative dates back to 2010, when, as the state’s health minister, he helped launch Operation Smile in Assam.
Sarma, who first envisioned the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Centre (GC4) of Mission Smile in 2010 as health minister, has witnessed its growth into a leading centre of multidisciplinary cleft care. GC4 has set new standards of excellence in India and beyond, achieving a milestone of 25,000 transformative cleft lip and palate surgeries, and spreading hope and smiles across Northeast India.
This landmark achievement aligns with the 18th Smile Asia Council conference being held in Guwahati. Smile Asia, a global alliance of cleft care charities across nine Southeast Asian countries, includes Mission Smile, India, as a key member.
The 25,000th surgery, a historic moment for GC4, was performed on October 31 on Baby Ligang Pegu from Piyang Village in Dhemaji District’s Silapathar block. This milestone signifies a new chapter in GC4’s legacy of providing free, high-quality cleft care.
The GC4 has become a trusted source of hope, providing life-changing services to thousands of children and families in Northeast India entirely free of charge. This recent milestone—25,000 cleft surgeries—highlights the success of the unique public-private partnership (PPP) between Mission Smile, the Assam government, and the National Health Mission (NHM) Assam, which has made comprehensive cleft care widely accessible in the region.
Ranjit Barthakur, a founding member of Mission Smile, commended the GC4 team for their unwavering commitment, saying, “This milestone is a testament to the tireless work of our surgeons, anesthesiologists, staff, and volunteers, both national and international. Each surgery represents a new beginning for a child and their family, strengthening our resolve to provide transformative healthcare to all in need.”
Every year, thousands of children in India are born with cleft lip and palate, facing difficulties in feeding, speech, hearing, and social integration. GC4 addresses these challenges holistically, offering surgical care along with nutritional support, speech therapy, dentistry, and emotional counselling. Through awareness campaigns and pre-screening camps, GC4 helps families access critical treatment, guiding them on a path to transformation.
Mission Smile extends its gratitude to all donors, partners, and supporters who have fueled this journey. As GC4 celebrates the milestone of 25,000 surgeries, it reaffirms its commitment to accessible and compassionate cleft care throughout India.
