KOCHI: Five children from Colombo who were born with congenital heart defects have undergone successful heart surgery in Kochi under a free heart surgery programme titled Neona. The children underwent the surgery recently under the project jointly implemented by the Rotary Club of Cochin West and Rotary Club of Colombo West with the help of the Rotary Foundation.
Neona is a free heart surgery programme for children in Colombo, Sri Lanka, who have congenital heart defects and valve defects. The heart surgery was done at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Kochi, a release said here.
A total of 65 children will benefit from the project costing Rs 2 crore. Along with this, Sri Lankan doctors and nurses will be trained at Amrita Hospital. Rotary District 3201 Governor S Rajmohan Nair inaugurated the project at Panampilly Nagar KMA Hall recently.
The surgery is being performed as part of a project in memory of Neona, a one-and-a-half-year-old girl who died in a boat accident near Lakshadweep in 2010. Her family is also cooperating with the Rotary Club of Cochin West’s project.