What once began with a single operation has grown into an international network of hope.
In seven Cleft Centers across India, Pakistan, and Nepal, Cleft-Children International CCI works hand in hand with local doctors, nurses, and therapists to provide children with cleft lip and palate access to high-quality, free treatment.
Each center stands for medical expertise, collaborative partnership, and the goal of creating sustainable help on the ground.
From initial diagnosis to surgery, and from aftercare to speech therapy, the teams accompany children and their families for many years.
Around 4,000 treatments are performed annually in these centers – each one a step toward a future of dignity, health, and joy.
The Cleft Centers of CCI are more than medical facilities. They are places of trust, learning, and responsibility – united by a common principle: healing that lasts.
Founded: 2001 · Director: Prof. Dr. Dr. Vikram Shetty · Partner: NITTE (Deemed to be University)
The Cleft Center in Mangalore was the first CCI center – the place where the foundation’s international work began.
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Dr. Vikram Shetty, a renowned oral and maxillofacial surgeon, the center has grown into one of India’s leading institutions for the treatment of craniofacial anomalies.
CCI works closely with its local partner, NITTE (Deemed to be University) – in particular with the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the A. B. Shetty Memorial Institute.
Each year, hundreds of surgeries and follow-up treatments are performed in Mangalore – from lip repair and palate reconstruction to comprehensive aftercare including speech therapy and dental/orthodontic treatment.
This center exemplifies the CCI approach: medical excellence, strong local roots, sustainable training, and collaborative partnership.
Founded: 2001 · Director: Prof. Dr. Dr. Gosla Reddy · Partner: Hyderabad Cleft Society / GSR Institute of Craniofacial Surgery
The Cleft Center in Hyderabad marked a decisive step in the development of CCI – transforming the foundation’s work from individual projects into a regionally rooted center of healing and training.
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Dr. Srinivas Gosla Reddy, an internationally recognized expert in craniofacial surgery, the clinic has become a key institution shaping cleft care throughout the region.
On site, CCI works closely with the Hyderabad Cleft Society, which coordinates both surgical treatment and comprehensive rehabilitation – including speech therapy, dental care, and psychosocial support.
The 50-bed facility is fully specialized in cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial anomalies. Its catchment area extends up to 1,000 kilometers, ensuring that even children from remote regions can access high-quality care.
Hyderabad stands as a prime example of CCI’s mission: medical excellence combined with the commitment to build local capacity, strengthen expertise, and support community development.
Founded 2003 · Director: Prof. Dr. Manikandhan Ramanathan · Partner: Meenakshi Ammal Trust / Meenakshi Cleft & Craniofacial Centre
The Cleft Center in Chennai was opened in 2003 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Manikandhan Ramanathan, a specialist who combines surgical excellence with aesthetic sensitivity. It is part of the Meenakshi Cleft & Craniofacial Centre at Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and operates in close collaboration with the Meenakshi Ammal Trust.
As a regional reference center for cleft lip and palate, the clinic provides surgical treatment, aftercare, speech therapy, and interdisciplinary support to numerous children each year – from across Tamil Nadu and beyond.
A distinctive feature of the center is its child-friendly play and recreation room, where films are shown in regional languages – not only for distraction, but intentionally as part of speech therapy. Through this, children learn to practice their mother tongue without fear and to build confidence in their own voices.
Under Prof. Ramanathan’s leadership, the facility continues to grow – through the training of local professionals, scientific publications, and joint initiatives such as cleft detection camps in rural areas.
Chennai embodies the CCI ideal: locally rooted, medically precise, and deeply human – a place that not only heals, but offers hope.
Founded: 2004 · Director: Dr. Parit Ladani · Partner: The Society of the Servants of Holy Spirit
The Cleft Center in Mumbai, opened in 2004, is now one of CCI’s most important sites in India. Under the leadership of Dr. Parit Ladani, an experienced maxillofacial surgeon, the clinic has developed into a leading center for both treatment and training.
CCI’s local partner is the Society of the Servants of Holy Spirit, where the cleft unit is located. This collaboration enables not only precise surgical interventions, but also comprehensive follow-up care directly on site.
Successful operations require speech therapy, dental care, and orthodontic support to work hand in hand – a standard that Mumbai consistently upholds.
For many years, the facility was the only specialized point of contact for children with cleft lip and palate in the entire state of Maharashtra. Today, Dr. Ladani pursues a clear vision: to further develop the center into a multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence, where research, training, and clinical practice blend seamlessly.
Mumbai thus exemplifies CCI’s path: providing healing where it is lacking – while simultaneously building structures that ensure long-term quality, independence, and medical excellence.
Founded: 2010 · Director: Dr. Mathew P. C. · Partner: Dr. A. K. Cherian Memorial Charitable Society / St. Thomas Hospital Malakkara
The Cleft Center in Malakkara opened in 2010 as part of CCI’s long-term expansion in southern India. Led by Dr. Mathew P. C., an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon, the clinic operates within St. Thomas Hospital Malakkara, which is supported by the Dr. A. K. Cherian Memorial Charitable Society.
Dr. Mathew specializes in complex reconstructive procedures and is renowned far beyond Kerala for his technical precision. In recent years, the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at St. Thomas Hospital has developed into a regional center of excellence for craniofacial malformations.
In collaboration with the Dr. A. K. Cherian Memorial Society, the team is involved not only in surgical care, but also in education, diagnostic camps, and aftercare programs in the wider region. This enables them to reach children who previously had no access to specialized treatment.
Malakkara exemplifies the combination of medical expertise, charitable responsibility, and strong local commitment — a combination that characterizes all CCI locations.
Founded 2023 · Director: Prof. Dr. Ghulam Qadir Fayyaz · Partner: CLAPP Trust (Cleft Lip & Palate Association of Pakistan)
The Cleft Center in Lahore is one of the newer sites in the CCI network – yet its significance is profound. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Ghulam Qadir Fayyaz, an internationally recognized specialist in cleft lip and palate, the clinic works closely with its experienced partner, the CLAPP Trust – a nonprofit organization that has been providing free surgeries and comprehensive aftercare in Pakistan for many years.
Prof. Fayyaz is a pioneer in cleft care in Pakistan and has performed several thousand procedures. At the CLAPP Hospital, multiple surgical teams often operate simultaneously; three to six children may be treated at the same time.
The CLAPP Trust also develops holistic treatment concepts that include not only surgery but also speech therapy, orthodontics, and long-term aftercare. Particularly noteworthy is the innovative hub-and-spoke model, in which the main center in Lahore serves as a coordinated hub, organizing regional outreach missions. This ensures that children in remote areas – who would otherwise have little or no access to specialized medical care – can receive treatment.
Since its establishment, the team in Lahore, through the CLAPP Trust, has carried out tens of thousands of treatments and follow-up programs. The surgical department of the CLAPP Hospital, led by Prof. Fayyaz, stands for high quality, close teamwork, and scientific publications of international relevance.
Today, Lahore embodies what defines CCI’s work: medical excellence rooted in local commitment, systematic growth, and care that extends far beyond the operating room.
Founded: 2025 · Director: Dr. Sumit Singh · Partner: Nepal Craniofacial Society
As the newest location in the CCI network, the Cleft Center in Kathmandu marks an important milestone in the mission to bring medical care to previously underserved regions.
Under the leadership of Dr. Sumit Singh, the team is preparing to begin its first surgeries at the start of the coming year. In cooperation with the Nepal Craniofacial Society, not only a surgical unit is being established, but a comprehensive system of medical rehabilitation – including long-term aftercare and interdisciplinary support.
The clinic in Kathmandu will serve as a link between local expertise and international support. It creates new opportunities for children in Nepal who have until now been forced to travel long distances to receive qualified treatment.
Even at this early stage, the center is part of a growing network of solidarity. It represents the promise that healing must not remain limited to existing structures – but must begin where it is needed most urgently.