GC4 Update, January 2012

GC4 Update

January, 2012

It is our pleasure to update you on the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center. This unique public private partnership is making daily progress towards achieving our goals of Increased Capacity, Decreased Costs, and a Cleft Free Assam.

January has been filled with exciting progress, punctuated by visits from Nobel Laureate Dr. Joseph Stiglitz and Union Health Minister of India Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad. We are thrilled that both recognized GC4 as a successful new model for comprehensive cleft care in the developing world, and hope you enjoy this update.

--Team Guwahati

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The New Near has been celebrated at GC4 with 280 free surgeries for the children of Assam. This has been accompanied by 383 multidisciplinary screening evaluations and 376 follow up visits. In the 9 months since operations began at GC4, we have performed 1856 free surgical procedures, representing 19% of Operation Smile surgical volume worldwide!

GC4 Nurse Manager, Arem Chiru

We are pleased to welcome Chiru, who joined Team Guwahati in January as our Center Nurse Manager. In this role, she oversees all nursing operations and functions at GC4. Chiru comes to us with excellent experience in Delhi, and is excited to be with our fantastic nursing crew to provide world-class care to our patients.

280 Surgeries Kick Off 2012

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Nursing Leadership at GC4

The Nursing Division at GC4 has transitioned successfully to being fully staffed by Indian

nurses, who provide specialized care to all of our patients.

Three sections cover the Operating Room, Post Anesthesia Recovery Unit, and Inpatient Ward. International nurses rotate at GC4 for educational exchange and support, but our nursing teams are all now led by fantastic local nurse managers.

(Left to Right):

OR: Bi ju Abraham Nurse Manager: Chiru Arem PACU: Puspa Tiwari  Ward: Lalr imawi

Nursing Leadership at GC4

§ 11,580 local health care workers educated on CL/CP.

§ 3,049 patients prescreened for surgery.

§ 458 patients identified in remote districts of Karimganj and Cachar (18-20 hours away) and subesquently provided transport and support to come to Guwahati for previously unthinkable life changing operations.

§ 458 patients invited back to DOFAST followup clinic based in these districts where we will fulfill our comittments to comprehensive care near their homes.

Patient Counselors Set New Heights

Rafir Rahman, Patient Recruitment Coordinator, educates ASHAS at a district camp.

New GC4 VIDEO hits YOUTUBE

Patient Care Programs and Operation Smile Patient Counselors featured:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvSz_6zG-TE

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Nobel Laureate Praises GC4

Dr. Alex Campbell, Medical Director of GC4, and Dalip Pande, Director of Partnerships of Operation Smile India, describe processes of care expansion with Dr. Stiglitz.

Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2001) has served in the Clinton Administration as the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, and as the World Bank Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. Dr. Stiglitz is a renowned advocate for economic arrangements in developing countries that reflect the interests and concerns of the poor.

Dr. Stiglitz visited the Operation Smile Comprehensive Cleft Care on January 10, where he was given an overview of incidence of cleft in Assam and the need for the year round surgeries and development of local skills for long term sustainability. He was impressed by the public private partnership model with Government of Assam, NRHM and supported by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and allied trusts leading to the setting up of the center. After witnessing the Center in action during a busy surgical day, he commented to reporters that, “This serves as a successful model for surgical care in the developing world that can be reproduced in other places.”

Dr. Stiglitz answers questions from reporters, touting GC4 as a reproducible model for excellence in surgical care.

Dr. Stiglitz discusses GC4 as a new model for cleft care with Mr. Ranjit Barthakur, Chairman of the Board of Operation Smile India.

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Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Health Minister and cabinet member of the Council of Ministers of India, visited GC4 on January 30. As reported by The Telegraph (Jan 31, 2012), “Mr. Azad was impressed by its infrastructure, hi-tech surgical equipment, and trained manpower. He said that similar centers could be set up in other parts of the country as well.”

“I would like to congratulate the chairman and Board of Directors of Operation Smile for creating and establishing a state-of-the-art cleft care center in Assam. I wish the management all the best in their endeavor.”

India’s Highest Ranking Health Off icial Visits GC4 “Facil ity can be a role model for the country.”

Mr. Azad enjoys patients in Child Life.

Dr. Campbell briefs the Minister on GC4 facilities and ground-breaking programs. Mr. Azad at the entrance of GC4 with

Operation Smile Executive Trustee Maj. Gen. M.S. Sandhu, Center Director Masesh Deori, and other healthcare leaders in Assam.

Mr. Azad tells a story about a favorite teacher that has an unrepaired cleft lip at 70 years old. GC4 has pledged to provide the surgery for the Minister’s old friend.

Mr. Azad signs GC4 guestbook.