Kochi 12-03-2025: On their final day at Aster Medcity, the six children from Arunachal Pradesh were treated to a fun-filled boat ride, fulfilling a promise made to them. The boat echoed with their delighted laughter and playful chatter, a contrast to the corridors of the paediatric cardiology department where they were recovering. The long days of treatment and recovery were finally drawing to a close, and their hearts, now healthy, were filled with the pure joy of childhood. This wave of healing was swept from the shores of Kochi to the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, as Aster DM Foundation and Aster Volunteers extended its heart and expertise to provide life-saving cardiac treatments to six children followed a crucial congenital heart disease (CHD) screening camp held in R. K Mission Hospital, Itanagar in December 2024. This noble gesture was facilitated by Aster DM Foundation’s ‘Heart to Heart’ initiative, which provides free cardiac surgeries to children identified through nationwide camps. In the last year, ‘Heart to Heart’ enabled 66 such life-saving procedures for children from underprivileged backgrounds.
The journey began with the screening camp, where nearly 130 children and young adults, ranging from newborns to 25 years old, from across Arunachal Pradesh received free cardiac checkups. The camp, arranged by Aster Volunteers in association with Oniya Heart Foundation, a foundation giving awareness on the congenial heart disease in children, identified approximately 25 children in need of early cardiac intervention.
Six of these children, facing complex and life-threatening heart conditions, were immediately brought to Aster Medcity Kochi, where they underwent successful treatments. The procedures included two intricate open-heart surgeries and four catheterization procedures in which Aster Medcity provided two open-heart surgeries and one catheterization procedure entirely free of charge, ensuring that financial constraints would not stand in the way of life-saving treatment. Further, maximum discounts were extended to all remaining patients.
The seeds of this compassionate initiative were sown seven years ago, when Mrs. Nabam Yahi, founder of the Oniya Heart Foundation, brought her newborn daughter to a CHD camp conducted by Dr. Edwin Francis, Director & Senior Consultant – Paediatric Cardiology at Aster Medcity, Kochi. Her daughter, diagnosed with a complex cyanotic heart disease, received life-changing palliative surgeries in Kochi. Inspired by the care and determined to help other children in her region, Mrs. Nabam established the Oniya Heart Foundation, forging a strong partnership with Aster Medcity.
“Our ongoing partnership with the Oniya Heart Foundation ensures that more children in Arunachal Pradesh will receive the care they need. Additionally, more children identified during the camp in Itanagar are scheduled to arrive this month” said Dr. Edwin Francis, Director & Senior Consultant – Paediatric Cardiology at Aster Medcity, Kochi. Dr. Bijesh V. and Dr. Annu Consultants – Paediatric Cardiology were also a part of the camp.
