The Hyderabad based GSR Institute of Craniofacial and Facial Plastic Surgery (GSRICFS), run by Cleft Foundation, is planning to invest Rs 10 crore for adding 50 more new beds in the existing facility. The expansion is expected to be completed by early 2008. Besides, plans are afoot to set up 10 more new centres in northern as well as eastern part of India by 2012.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Srinivas Gosla Reddy, director, said, "We are an NGO oriented organisation and working for the Cleft Foundation. We are specialized in the field of craniofacial and facial plastic surgery. Every year Cleft Foundation is donating US $ one million. The aim of the Foundation is to help such children who are born with the facial defects and deformities of nose, eyes and lips. Currently, we have 50 beds facility at Hyderabad hospital and willing to add further 50 more beds in the same facility, which will cost around Rs 10 crore. At present we have total five centres across the India and willing to set up 10 more new centres in northern as well as eastern part of the India by 2012".

The GSRICFS has been in operation for the last 10 years and has helped more than 12,000 people so far. Every year the hospital is doing around 1500 surgeries. It has a team of three craniofacial surgeons, one paediatric surgeon, one neurosurgeon, one paediatrician, five anaesthetists and well trained nursing staff.

The hospital is a 50 beds facility catering to the people who are born and suffering with facial defects and deformities. It has state-of- the-art operation theatres and ICUs to handle any type of craniofacial deformity. At the GSRICFS, complete rehabilitation of the patient is assured in the form of surgery at appropriate times, speech therapy and orthodontics (teeth correction).

Cleft Foundation was started by Prof Hermann Sailer. It aims to give free or low cost surgical options to patients from low socio economic backgrounds born or suffering from craniofacial defects. Through his private practice he raised money to fund free treatment for children with cleft lip and craniofacial defects. Over the last seven years, Sailer has funded over seven million dollars and has helped more than 15,000 children.

Talking further, Reddy said, "We are in the process to finalise one more tie up with the England based organisation 'ENABLE'. The organisation will help to promote the surgery for the orofacial cancer surgery. The functional activity will start from early 2008".