New Delhi, Aug 5, 2024: A state-of-the-art pediatric cardiac centre established by the NGO, Child Heart Foundation, at New Delhi-based Balakram MCD Hospital this year has screened several thousand children suspected of having heart disease and helped a few hundred of them with surgical treatment.
Cardiovascular diseases are commonly associated with adults but also affect a significant number of children in India, posing serious health risks and complications. The National Library of Medicine states that 9 out of 1,000 babies are born with CHD. In India, more than 2 Lakh children are born with congenital heart defects every year and a staggering 20% of them require life-saving interventions within the first year of their life. The severity of CHD ranges from mild symptoms that are not noticeable to critical conditions where quick intervention is required.
“Out of 2,00,000 children born with CHD, only 20,000 get operated on for reasons including lack of infrastructure and shortage of pediatric cardiac experts in major hospital chains , lack of awareness in the community, no health insurance for these diseases, and very high treatment costs. This results in higher mortality and morbidity rates among the young population,” says Dr Vikas Kohli, Founder of Child Heart Foundation, India’s first NGO offering free fetal echo screenings.
Based on a recent CHF survey, the team found that out of 32 MCD hospitals in Delhi, only 3 had echo machines. Hundreds of children were able to get echo appointments and treatment dates after a 6-month to one–year delay in some of the major hospitals. Of all the kids requiring heart surgery, 30% of children need treatment in the first year of birth, which gets defeated by a delay in echo even by a few months.
The Child Heart Foundation inaugurated the pediatric cardiac centre earlier this year at Balakram MCD Hospital in the presence of Mayor Shelly Oberoi and Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey. Since its inception, CHF has been able to screen about several 100 thousand children suspected of having heart disease and helped a few hundred of them with surgical treatment, according to a press release issued by the NGO.
The Child Heart Foundation aims to provide timely intervention and treatment to children suffering from heart ailments with an aim to reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with congenital heart conditions, and thereby improve the infant mortality rate (IMR). CHF intends to spread awareness and knowledge about pediatric heart disease and that would help towards early diagnosis.
The CHF is also looking forward to establish a sustainable model of specialized cardiac care, serving as a replicable framework for similar initiatives in Delhi and surrounding districts.
It aims at supporting major activities, including setting up the OPD with state-of-the-art equipment, hiring and training pediatric cardiologists and support staff and conducting community outreach programs.
It also conduct regular community medical and awareness camps in Northeast Delhi to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment.
Dr Kohli said, “We have taken this initiative to provide high-end super specialized pediatric care in a highly vulnerable age group. We hope to provide a holistic approach to the growth of pediatric cardiac care in Delhi by providing specialized ,accessible, andtimely treatment for children with heart diseases. Furthermore, the OPD will raise community awareness and knowledge about pediatric heart health, creating a more informed and proactive society, and settinga benchmark for similar healthcare initiatives in other regions.”
The Child Heart Foundation further plans to establish partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, and private donors for ongoing funding. The next phase will include upgrading the facility with an ICU, CATH lab, and an OT. The team will also provide training to the manpower so that the hospital becomes self-sustainable in handling pediatric cardiac cases in Delhi and becomes an example for other states, ultimately leading to a significant number of kids getting treated in a timely fashion.
