COIMBATORE: In a first, a foreigner has become the beneficiary of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. A 31-year-old Nepalese woman based at Coonoor in the Nilgiris district benefited from the popular scheme as she underwent a minimally invasive heart surgery at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
Significantly, it was the first such surgery at CMCH using advanced keyhole procedure. The surgery was held to cure her congenital heart defect known as Congenital Pulmonary Valve Stenosis (CPVS) wherein the pulmonary valve doesn’t fully open and poses a block.
Also, she had an Atrial Septal Defect — a hole in the wall between the heart’s upper chambers. “She underwent the percutaneous transcatheter treatment — a procedure done through a small incision on the patient’s thigh instead of an open heart surgery and a catheter is inserted to help remove the block,” said A Nirmala, the hospital dean.
The heart issue was diagnosed after she developed dizziness, fainting and breathing trouble. She was admitted to the Coonoor GH on July 12. The doctors who examined her suspected that she might have suffered heart issues and referred her to the CMCH. After the diagnosis, she was operated upon on Thursday.
The treatment was done free of cost under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Medical Insurance Scheme, and this was the first time that a Nepalese national underwent such treatment.
The same treatment costs up to Rs 5 lakh in private hospitals. Earlier, patients had to go to Chennai for these treatments and now are available at CMCH,” Nirmala said. The woman’s husband works at SIMS Park in Coonoor.