The government of Japan has extended financial support of US $106,328 (approximately rupees 8.87 million) to Pakistan Cleft Lip and Palate Association (PCLAPA) for construction of 'Cleft Lip and Palate Cure Centre' in Gujrat, Punjab.
The agreement for the project was signed between Chihiro Atsumi, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and Hassan Javed, President of the PCLAPA, here on Monday. The grant will be utilised for construction of a cleft lip and palate cure centre that includes an operation theatre, a patient's ward, a counselling room, a speech therapy room, a training room and a pathology lab, curing around 22,000 patients per year. The centre will provide treatment both for outdoor and indoor patients and qualified surgeons will perform an operation throughout the year.
Atsumi, on the occasion, stressed that improving medical and health services is one of the priorities in Japan's assistance policy toward Pakistan, adding that the project would help more cleft lip and palate patients overcome their disabilities and lead a self-supporting life in future.
At present, there exists around 300,000 patients of cleft lip and palate in the country while 10,000 new patients are added every year. The disease requires treatment at early stage to overcome it completely, otherwise its patient needs assistance from family permanently.-PR