Opening of the Cleft-centre in Chengannur
A Cleft-centre with a big history - the St. Thomas Hospital in Chengannur
On 04.11.2012 a new Cleft-centre was opened in the Indian state of Kerala. The ceremony took place in the presence of the minister of health, Mr. V.S. Sivamumar, an honorary member of parliament, Mr. Anto Antony and many other high-ranking members of the Indian government. The Cleft-centre is located in the St. Thomas Hospital of the city of Chengannur, which was established after the second world war under the directorship of Dr. Cherian. The objective of the facility has always been to aid the socially less well off.
The objective of the facility has always been to aid the socially less well off.
Even today, 20 years after the death of its founding father, this idea continues. The building has 150 beds and possesses a surgical department, which means that in the future we will be able to undertake approximately 50 cleft operations every month. These are performed under the medical supervision of Dr. P.C. Mathews. This young surgeon studied for six years at the dental college in Mangalore and worked for three years at the university of Chennai as maxillo-facial surgeon. He was further trained by Prof. Manikandhan, director of our Cleft-centre in Chennai as a cleft surgeon. He is assisted by his assistant Dr. Ganesh Koneru; who also graduated at the university of Chennai - together with an expert team of surgeons which looks after all of the requirements and needs of our cleft patients.
Dr. Mathews represents the second generation of cleft surgeons trained by the CCI. Within just a short period he has established a modern Cleft-centre. It is also the only Cleft-centre in Kerala, where thanks to the CCI patients receive facial surgery to correct facial anomalies free of charge