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Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital

Smile Train Cleft Leadership Center
Bangalore, India

jain staff and patients
smiling child

At a Glance

  • Founded in 1990
  • Smile Train partner since 2005
  • Our local partners at BMJH have performed more than 11,500 Smile Train-sponsored cleft surgeries

History

Smile Train and BMJH have been proud partners since 2005. Together, we have supported essential cleft care for more than 11,500 children. Becoming a Smile Train Cleft Leadership Center has allowed BMJH to expand its leadership role throughout India with ever-increasing cleft care programs, research and education, and training opportunities, positioning it as a resource hub for patients and providers across the region. Smile Train and BMJH are excited to continue transforming cleft care in India together — ensuring that every child in need receives the care they deserve.

“The comprehensive treatment of cleft lip and palate is a challenge. However, if excellence is to be achieved, ‘The Patient Comes First’ must be the recurring theme. Whether it is planning clinical services, expanding the current range of services, training caregivers, or undertaking research activities or advocacy, the end point must always be improving patient outcomes. I’m proud to be a part of an organization that is committed to improving the access and caliber of cleft care for children across the world.”

Dr. Krishnamurthy Bonanthaya
Cleft Surgeon and Smile Train Project Director
Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital
Bangalore

“Smile Train’s Cleft Leadership Centers [CLCs] will help strengthen health systems for cleft management throughout the country. Equipped with the latest technology and staffed with some of the area’s best-trained medical professionals, CLCs will be a model for cleft centers to ensure the highest standard of holistic cleft care is available for all. We are thankful for the support of Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital and its commitment to always elevate the standard of care for children with clefts.”

Mamta Carroll
Smile Train Vice President & Regional Director
Asia

jain staff

Research and Publications

BMJH conducts a significant amount of clinical research to improve the quality of cleft care and build greater knowledge around cleft treatment. Research topics include nasoalveolar molding, early speech results, and the development of an algorithm for the management of velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). The center’s upcoming research focuses will include nutritional interventions for children with clefts and their mothers.

Comprehensive cleft care programs at BMJ include:

  • Plastic and reconstructive surgery
  • ENT services
  • Jaw treatment
  • Orthodontics
    • Pre-surgical orthopedics (nasoalveolar molding)
  • Speech services
  • Surgical fellowships and medical training
    • Since 2010, BMJH, through its association with the Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences, has hosted an accredited cleft lip and palate fellowship program. This is a one-year, hands-on program has hosted 20 fellows, many of whom were supported through Smile Train education grants. Several of these former fellows are now Smile Train partners leading cleft care programs across India.
    • In 2015, BMJH was accredited as a cleft lip and palate training center by the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS). Trainees have traveled from Iraq, Sudan, Israel, and the Dominican Republic to learn at BMJH.
    • International exchange training programs
    • Speech and language pathology training
  • Telehealth for virtual patient care
    • Nutrition and growth monitoring
    • Dental health education
  • Dental care, ENT, and psychosocial support services will soon be offered