CHENNAI: After having approached several hospitals for treatment and being turned away due to lack of proper medical facilities, retired Army Major General Dr Sathyapalan had all but lost hope. The 82-year-old suffered from aortic stenosis due to surgical valve failure. His age and the severity of the surgery meant that the army man had slim picking to choose from.
However, when the former Major General contacted Dr Sai Sathish, a senior interventional cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals and saw the quality of their equipment, the septuagenarian was convinced of the surgery’s success. And, just a few days after his open heart surgery, he was able to cast his vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
“This was an extremely challenging case as the vessels in his leg were severely calcified and narrowed, and no valve could be moved across them for replacement. His age and physical health stood as a high risk making the procedure very demanding,” said Dr Sathish.
Upon obtaining his medical degree from Stanley Medical College in 1955, Dr Sathyapalan began his service in the Indian Army. Throughout his 35-year career, he has seen the Liberation of Goa, the Kargil War, the Indo-Chinese War, and assisted medical operations in Jaffna during the Sri Lankan Civil War. His efforts in the Army earned him the Yudh Seva Medal in 1991 from the late former President R Venkataraman.
The Major General (Rtd), while thanking Apollo Hospitals, said, “These procedures must be accessible, available, and affordable to the common man, else there is no use having diamonds in the air. There should be a proper system of healthcare or insurance because diseases of the heart affect the rich and the poor without discrimination.” He also stressed the importance of making healthcare accessible in rural India.