Chennai Heart Surgeons Screen School Children For Birth Defects, Funded by Children Heart Foundation

As part of the worldwide Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week initiative, Chennai-based heart surgeons are conducting a free 3-day heart health camp for under-privileged children studying in corporation schools from all over the city. On 15th February, the first day of the camp, 259 children were screened by clinical examination and echocardiography tests at the K.J. Hospital and Research Institute on P.H. Road, Chennai. Out of them, 3 children with congenital heart defects requiring treatment were picked up by the team of doctors headed by Dr. P.S. Sreemathi, and will receive surgery free of cost at the hospital.

Chennai, TN (PRWEB) February 17, 2007 -- As part of the worldwide Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week initiative, Chennai-based heart surgeons are conducting a free 3-day heart health camp for under-privileged children studying in corporation schools from all over the city.

On 15th February, the first day of the camp, 259 children were screened by clinical examination and echocardiography tests at the K.J.Hospital and Research Institute on P.H. Road, Chennai. Out of them, 3 children with congenital heart defects requiring treatment were picked up by the team of doctors headed by Dr. P.S. Sreemathi, and will receive surgery free of cost at the hospital.

The operation expenses of Rs.1.2 lakh each will be funded by the Dr. Mani Children Heart Foundation, a non-profit trust that helps poor children with heart birth defects receive expensive, life-saving treatment, and with additional contributions from the K.J.Hospital Research Foundation. The child's family will not have to pay for the treatment.

"I am a labourer working for daily wages, and it is a shock to hear that my child has a heart problem," says Mr. Chidambaram, father of a 7 year old girl with infundibular pulmonary stenosis, a heart defect where free blood flow into the lungs is blocked causing breathing difficulty.

Congenital heart disease affects 7 out of every 1,000 children and almost 14,000 children are born with heart defects every year in the state of Tamil Nadu alone. Heart defects are caused by genetic problems, infections, drugs or xray exposure during pregnancy, and other unknown causes.

Both charitable foundations supporting this effort are funded by donations from philanthropists in India and abroad. The Dr. Mani Children Heart Foundation's website at http://www.CHDfoundation.com shares details about funding heart surgery in 17 children since October 2003, in hospitals in Chennai and the Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore.

For more details, contact Dr. P.S. Sreemathi at 98410 39362

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