Rotary Club of Madras East Signs MOU with Apollo Children's Hospital to reach out to poor children requiring life saving heart surgery. Initial target of helping 500 poor children over a period of 1 year

Rotary Club of Madras East Signs MOU with Apollo Children's Hospital to reach out to poor children requiring life saving heart surgery.

 Initial target of helping 500 poor children over a period of 1 year

Chennai, 5 July 2021: The Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery of Apollo Children's Hospital, Chennai today announced the partnership with Rotary Club of Madras East to reach out to poor children requiring life saving heart surgery. Of every 1000 babies born, 8 are born with congenital heart disease. In India, on an average, 2.5 lakh children are born annually with heart disease. About half will perish before the first birthday if they do not have access to timely surgery and intervention.

The pediatric cardiac program caters to children with heart disease of all socioeconomic classes. The program is run with the help of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Scheme, donations from the Save a Child's Heart Initiative (SACHI Trust) run by Apollo Hospital, crowdfunding platforms and the kindness, dedication and magnanimity of Rotarians like those belonging to Rotary Club of Madras East (RCME) and the generosity and unlimited support from the Apollo top-management. The joint program between Apollo Children's Hospital and RCME will be officially launched on July 5, 2021 with an initial target of helping at least 500 poor children over a period of 1 year.

The Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery is headed by Dr Neville Solomon and run along with his consultants, Dr P Balaraman and Dr V Swaminathan. They have performed over 5000 pediatric cardiac operations over a decade with an amazing success rate. A team-based multidisciplinary approach has contributed to the success of the program. All members of the team involved in the care of the patients are exceptionally trained in the field of Pediatric Cardiac including our anaesthetists, Drs Rajagopal and Hemalatha, Intensivists, Dr Suchitra and team, and a brilliant team of perfusionists, nurses and paramedical staff. A dedicated Catheterization Laboratory and Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit in an exclusive children's hospital contributes to incredible outcomes even with the most complex cases. Newborn babies just a few hours old and weighing only 1.2 kgs have been successfully operated on and sent home, even those born with the most complex of conditions. We offer the entire gamut of Pediatric Cardiac Services from complex neonatal cardiac surgeries, valve repairs, heart failure, ECMO and transplants all under one roof. 

The Department of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology is headed by Dr CS Muthukumaran and run along with Dr Anuradha, whose special interest is also Heart failure/transplantation. The interventional department has done more than 10000 complex interventions in children. Babies as low as 1.2 kg have had interventional procedures successfully. The interventional department is equipped with state of heart cath lab only for children. The department is a pioneer in percutaneous valve implantations. ( valves implanted without surgery)

Rtn. Srinivasa Rao, President RCME, says “Healing Tiny Hearts project aligns very well with RCME’s plans for the year. We are extremely happy to partner with Apollo Hospitals and their Pediatric Cardiac Surgery team to provide the best in class care for 500 economically underprivileged children in dire medical need.” The Healing Tiny Hearts Project is an initiative by RCME to support 500 pediatric cardiac surgeries or interventions to correct congenital heart defects. The procedures will be done by the Apollo Team who have an impressive track record in this field.

About RCME:

Rotary Club of Madras East (RCME) is among the most active clubs in Chennai and well known for its service projects. Some noteworthy projects include, donation of a Cancer Screening Mobile Bus to the NGO Penn Nalam at a cost of INR 43 lakhs, donation of equipment worth more than INR 3.35 crs to Ramakrishna Mission Polytechnic and Schools and ICU and surgical equipment worth nearly 1.88 crs to Hindu Mission Hospital. Presently, the club is setting up 8 Vision Centers in North Chennai at a cost of over INR 1 cr in association with Aravind Eye Care System to avoid needless blindness.

About Apollo Hospitals:

It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap C Reddy made a pioneering endeavor by launching India’s first corporate hospital - Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. Now, as Asia’s foremost trusted integrated healthcare group, its presence includes over 12,000 beds across 71 Hospitals, 3300 Pharmacies, over 90 Primary Care clinics and 150 Diagnostic centers, 110 plus Telemedicine Centres, over 15 medical education centres and a Research Foundation with a focus on global Clinical Trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell & genetic research, Apollo Hospitals has been at the forefront of new medical advancements with the most recent investment being the commissioning of South East Asia’s very first Proton Therapy Centre in Chennai. Every four days, the Apollo Hospitals Group touches a million lives, in its mission to bring healthcare of international standards within the reach of every individual. In a rare honour, the Government of India had issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo's contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010.

For 35 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Its hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals in the country for advanced medical services.

For further details, log onto: www.apollohospitals.com

For more details please contact:

Red Consulting Chennai

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