Guwahati: The first batch of 19 paediatric cardiac patients and their attendants along with Assam government officers left for Ahmedabad for heart treatment at Sri Satya Sai Heart Hospital on Saturday.
A total of 500 children with cardiac ailments will be provided free treatment in the hospital for two years under an agreement signed with the Assam government.
“Met the first batch of 19 children with congenital heart diseases at @gmchgauhati today before they were sent to Ahmedabad for further treatment in accordance with the MoU signed between GoA and Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, Ahmedabad,” Assam health minister Keshab Mahanta said in a tweet.
This is for the first time that such a large number of beneficiaries have gone to Ahmedabad for cardiac treatment.
Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital is run by Rajkot-based Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to serving the poor and needy citizens of society for the last 21 years by conducting all types of most expensive cardiac surgeries free of cost.
India’s largest paediatric charitable cardiac hospital in Ahmedabad has facilities such as four class 100 operation theatres, two Cath Labs, pre and Post OT Wards, ICU and ICCU, Multipurpose prayer hall, temple, OPD, presidential quarters for Doctors and Paramedical staff, dining hall, stores, utility rooms, X-Ray/Lab/ECG and other related medical equipment to conduct minimum 5,000 cardiac procedures per year.
The organisation has conducted more than 1,700 cardiac procedures since its inception in November 2018.
Retired chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya floated the idea of the Assam government joining hands with Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation for cardiac treatment of children from the state.
On January 7, an MoU was signed between the Health & Family Welfare Department of Assam and the Rajkot-based Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation, as per which the Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospitals at Rajkot and Ahmedabad would conduct sophisticated heart surgeries on 500 children and an equal number of adults belonging to the disadvantaged sections of society and treatments within two years.
“The entire cost of surgery and related treatment of patients will be borne by the charitable trust and the state government will bear the cost of travelling and miscellaneous expenditures of the patients and their attendants,” Mahanta said.
Since 2009, under an agreement with Narayana Hrudalaya, which was later extended to local hospitals of Guwahati, till date more than 9,700 heart patients have availed of free surgeries, costs of which are being borne by the Assam government.
Mahanta interacted with the children and their parents at the Cardiological and Neuroscience (CN) Centre of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital on Saturday afternoon.
Earlier, a screening camp of the children was conducted by a seven-member doctors team from Sri Satya Sai Hospital, Ahmedabad conducted at CN Centre on January 21. The screening camp was inaugurated by the State health minister and acting Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court S Koteswar Singh.
Principal secretary Abinash Joshi, Satya Sai Heart Hospital managing trustee Manoj Bhimani, NHM executive director Manoj Choudhury, GMC principal Dr Achuyt Baishya, professor of cardiology, GMC, Dr Pranab Bhattacharyya were also present in the screening camp.
The team from Sri Satya Sai Hospital comprised Dr Harish Patel, Dr TN Raman, Dr Niroz Agrawat, Dr Pavan Patel, Dr Barun Tiwari, and Dr Bhabesh Ojha.
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“Children from economically weaker sections of society do not get proper medical attention and hence they suffer mainly due to their financial condition. With a prime focus on cardiac ailments covering children, each precious life receives the most appropriate combination of love and care which is the need of the hour. Hence the hospital has taken up this herculean task of giving these children a new lease of life,” Mahanta added.
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