HYDERABAD: As many as 19 children with congenital heart disease successfully underwent complex cardiac surgeries at the fifth paediatric cardiac surgery camp organised by Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad.
According to a release, the camp was conducted by the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, NIMS, in collaboration with a team of doctors from the UK from September 6 to 12. The visiting team was led by Dr Ramana Dhannapunen, consultant paediatric cardiac surgeon at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, UK. The NIMS team was headed by Dr M Amaresh Rao, head of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery.
More than 1,000 outpatients availed themselves of consultations and other services from the visiting team. Children for whom surgery was planned will be admitted to NIMS for further treatment.
The camp also enabled junior paediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons from corporate hospitals in Hyderabad to interact with the visiting specialists. For the first time, NIMS also provided ECMO services under the Aarogyasree scheme during the camp, the release added.
Dr Amaresh Rao said the visiting team appreciated the progress made by NIMS and the standards achieved in cardiac care. He said the programme also allowed the medical teams to exchange experiences and identify areas for improvement.
NIMS would focus on strengthening surgical capabilities and improving patient experience, with greater coordination among departments and institutions, he said. The institute also plans to strengthen its referral network with Niloufer Hospital and other government hospitals to ensure timely treatment for more patients requiring specialised cardiac procedures.
Revanth hails camp’s success
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy congratulated the NIMS medical team for successfully performing cardiac surgeries on 19 children with congenital heart ailments. Doctors D Ramana Dhannapuneni and M Amaresh Rao met the chief minister and expressed their gratitude.
The chief minister particularly commended the doctors for successfully operating on a two-month-old infant weighing just 2 kg, among the 19 children treated during the camp.