Saving Little Hearts has been able to tackle problem related to CHD in children, enabling them to lead a normal and healthy life
Shekhar Mehta is the Past Rotary International President and philanthropist working to change lives. He talked to Rusen Kumar, Editor, India CSR on World Heart Day 2022 on how lakhs of children in India suffer from congenital heart disease. He says that CHD can mean end to life if not treated on time. It can have a negative effect on the quality of life and become an economic burden for some. He suggested that CHD should be given greater importance within the country.
How many children in India suffer from congenital heart disease (CHD)?
Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the most common birth defects prevalent in children. It is a defect that restricts heart development and function since birth, capable of changing the way in which blood flows through a person’s heart. According to a recent study, more than 2,00,000 children are born with CHD, every year, in India. Out of these one-fifth of whom are likely to be in serious condition requiring surgical interventions within the first year of the birth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 17.9 million deaths in India are due to heart-related problems of which majority are from younger population, which makes it important to be aware of CHD in children.
What has been the role of Rotary Clubs in addressing the issue of CHD in children?
In India, CHD is often considered to be an end of life for children and their parents. However, it can be treated with lifestyle modifications, medicines & in some cases surgeries. Till date Rotary Clubs across India have facilitated over 20,000 surgeries to treat CHD.
In addition to the treatment, Rotary Clubs also conduct regular screening camps for children below 5 years of age with medical help from best hospitals and logistical/ financial support from Rotary Clubs. Once the children are identified, they are taken to the hospital for further diagnosis and decision on corrective surgery. The beneficiaries are taken through full rehabilitation process while they recover and come back to normal life.
Realising that the most marginalised communities lack access to diagnosis and treatment for CHD, I initiated ‘Saving Little Hearts’ in 2008 with an aim to save lives of children. Over the last 15 years, we have been able to save more than 2,500 children’s lives by performing heart surgery.
Tell us about the Saving Little Hearts initiative.
Saving Little Hearts is an initiative that has provided a lease of life to more that 2500 children from underprivileged families suffering from CHD. The beneficiaries for project are not limited to India but also come from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Africa
When the project was started, an instance made me realize it was far more than only saving their lives. I, along with my wife, travelled about 300 km from our home to visit on of the patients who had come from Pakistan. Nazar Ali was just nine years old. He and his mother had travelled 14 hours by bus to reach the border of Pakistan and India, then another 12 hours by bus to reach Delhi. From there they travelled another 20 hours by train to reach the hospital where the child was operated on. We met the mother and the child at the Hospital bed. The boy was smiling but the mother had tears in her eyes. Soon we realized that these were tears of joy – joy because her child got a new life. She said, “it was a painful journey no doubt, coming so far but with my child now better and happy it means the world to me.”
And then she made a profound statement. She said “my son was born in Pakistan, but he got a new life in India. He has not only just Pakistani but Indian blood in him too. Long Live India.” I suddenly realized the enormity of the statement.
For two countries who have fought three wars in 60 years, what could be a better way of bringing peace amongst their people? These hundreds of children who came from Pakistan for their surgeries in India under a program called “Aman ki Aasha” meaning “hope for peace” are all ambassadors of Peace through Service.
Each day when we save three lives and do our bit to bring peace, I live my Rotary moment.
How many states are benefitting from this initiative?
Children from all states across India can get the surgery done under this initiative. Surgeries are mainly conducted in 10 cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Nagpur, Pune, Jaipur, Durgapur including Chennai, in nearly 20 hospitals.
How will this initiative empower the underprivileged?
The average income of an Indian family is not more than US$600 and the expense for a heart surgery is around US$3,000. The health and economic impact of CHD on a family is immense. With projects like Saving Little Hearts, Rotary Clubs are able to provide free surgeries to the families who need support and care. Saving Little Hearts has been able to tackle problem related to CHD in children, enabling them to lead a normal and healthy life. The project is a ray of hope for the families whose children are born with CHD.
