The Smile Train's cleft palate repair program has been initiated in Gansu to provide free treatment to all the eligible patients of the province within the year.
There are about 7000 possible patients in Gansu. According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between The Smile Train and Gansu Provincial Health Department, in the coming six months, all the patients over three-months old and patients more than three years old among the migrant population who has lived in Gansu for more than half a year will be eligible to enjoy the free treatment.
Founded in 1997, The Smile Train is an international charity dedicated to helping millions of children in the world who suffer from cleft lip and palate through free surgery and offering free training to medical professionals of partner hospitals. The organization has cooperated with 72 countries since 2000, providing free surgery to 260,000 harelip and cleft palate patients and training to more than 22000 doctors.
In October 2007, The Smile Train signed with China's Ministry of Health and Chinese Stomatological Association on offering surgery to all eligible cleft palate patients in China. Gansu Province has been made the first demonstration region for the program in China.
