KOCHI: Three children who underwent surgery for congenital heart disease at a city hospital are set to return to their country, cherishing the love and care they received in Kerala.
Health Minister K K Shailaja accorded a warm sent off to the children and their mothers at a function held here on Saturday.
It is estimated that one in 100 children are born with congenital heart defect. Treatment of heart diseases in children requires special equipment and should be performed by experts. It is a relatively new specialty in the country.
Initially, Chigosiye Samuel (seven months) Bradley Morris (two years) and Peevi Christin (eight years) were treated by Dr Sia Wata Camanor, a paediatrician at the John F Kennedy Hospital at the Liberian capital of Monrovia.
The children were referred to Lisie Hospital by Endale, a doctor from the West African country who is known to Dr Edwin Francis of Lisie Hospital. The Indian High Commission in Liberia took the initiative to mobilise fund to meet their travel expense.
“The Ebola outbreak more than a year ago drastically curtailed medical services in the country, and children with heart diseases are currently dependent on other countries,” said Lisie Hospital director Fr Mathew Vaikathuparampil.
As a gesture of goodwill, Moolan Foundation and Rotary Club of Cochin Global joined hands with Lisie Hospital to have the surgery performed free of cost.Shailaja, who was the chief guest at the function, said the government had formulated a comprehensive plan to upgrade the State’s healthcare sector.
“The government’s plan is to augment primary health centres and introduce advanced facilities at taluk and district hospitals. We welcome private institutions willing to take part in this endeavour,” she said.The surgery was performed by a team comprising Dr Edwin Francis, Dr Thomas Mathew, Dr Subramanian C, Dr Annu Jose and others.