Transforming Smiles Across Kalyana Karnataka
The Smile Train Organisation is an international charitable institution based in the USA, with its India national headquarters in New Delhi. For more than 10 years, RKB Foundation’s M.K. Bhandari Hospital has served as an accredited cleft surgical centre, restoring smiles to over 18,000 children without distinction of caste, creed, gender, or religion.
In remote villages of Hyderabad-Karnataka and adjoining border districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, a child born with a cleft is frequently ostracized, unable to feed properly, and vulnerable to fatal malnutrition. We provide end-to-end support: from inpatient nutrition and expert reconstructive surgery to lodging, meals, and bus fares for the family.
The Complete Cleft Care Journey
Door-to-door village screening and clinical evaluation by pediatricians to confirm readiness for surgery.
Underweight babies receive specialized Haberman feeders, therapeutic formula, and 1–2 weeks free inpatient care.
Performed in laminar-airflow operating theatres by Smile Train accredited maxillofacial and plastic surgeons.
Inpatient monitoring, scar therapy, speech evaluation, and reimbursement of travel allowance for the family.
From Despair to a Radiant Smile: Baby Rishank
Real transformation documented from official hospital records. A mother's joy restored through timely cleft reconstruction.
Serving Communities Across 3 States
Our cleft surgical team travels throughout northern Karnataka, southern Telangana, and western Andhra Pradesh to bring children to our Raichur operating centre.
- • Raichur District (All talukas & rural wards)
- • Yadgir & Saidapur
- • Kalaburagi (Gulbarga)
- • Bidar District
- • Koppal & Hospet
- • Ballari & Sandur
- • Mahabubnagar District
- • Gadwal & Narayanpet
- • Makthal & Wanaparthy
- • Rural border settlements
- • Kurnool District
- • Mantralayam & Yemmiganur
- • Adoni & Alur
- • Tungabhadra river belt
Smile Train Cleft Surgery FAQs
Everything parents and guardians need to know before bringing a child for free surgery.
Is the cleft surgery genuinely 100% free? +
Yes. Under the partnership between RKB Foundation and Smile Train USA, every rupee of medical care—including surgery, anesthesia, inpatient bed charges, nursing, medicines, specialized baby feeders, meals, and even round-trip bus travel allowance for the child and mother—is completely covered at zero cost.
What is the ideal age for cleft surgery? +
Cleft lip repair is typically performed when the infant is around 3 to 6 months old, weighing at least 5 kg with healthy hemoglobin. Cleft palate surgery is recommended between 9 to 18 months, before the child develops complex speech patterns. However, older children and adults with untreated clefts can also undergo surgery safely.
What documents are required for registration? +
Parents simply need to provide an Aadhaar card (of the father or mother) and a photograph or birth record of the child. No complex income certificates or BPL ration cards are mandated.
