A very heartening instance of compassion at work can be seen with Amrita Hospital, Kochi working together with the Government of Jharkhand to offer free heart care services to children from poor economic backgrounds in that state. The initiative reaches into remote tribal communities, located more than 2,300 km away from the hospital.
The results of the camp in Giridih in January were impressive—145 children went through screening, and 70 of them needed surgery. In Ranchi in April, almost 300 children had to undergo examinations, and 99 of them required surgical operations.
Under the plan, experienced doctors from Amrita Hospital travel to different districts of Jharkhand, set up medical camps and examine children for possible heart diseases. These camps serve not only as means of diagnosing, but also as an encouragement for suffering families.
The program’s strength lies in its comprehensive nature. All detected children receive free-of-cost treatment at Amrita Hospital located in Kochi. Travel expenses of both the child and guardian are also taken care of, as this is considered one of the main impediments when it comes to availing medical facilities.
According to the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the plan will target the underprivileged areas, where specialised healthcare facilities are lacking. It is a fact that congenital heart disease can become a very difficult situation for some families. However, the new project will try to make their lives easier.
In addition to the treatment of affected children, efforts have been made to ensure continuity through capacity building among physicians working in Jharkhand. An extensive training program has been undertaken for this purpose in order to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment referral.
More follow-up camps are scheduled in the coming months which indicates continued efforts by the collaboration towards expanding its scope further.
This initiative is based on the principles of love, selflessness, and inclusivity in essence.
