SHILLONG, April 22: Cardio experts from India’s number one private hospital- Apollo Chennai on Friday said that there is a high prevalence of heart disease in the State.
“We have been coming to Meghalaya for quiet sometime but last two years was hampered by COVID. A lot of children have heart disease, the government asked us and we both got into an agreement to help the children, and detect and treat the disease early,” said HOD of Department of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology, Apollo Chennai, Dr CS Muthukumaran.
Informing that Apollo Guwahati and Chennai joined together with Meghalaya government and also National Health Mission (NHM) to bring the Pediatric cardiac services to the state, he said, “We are going to screen children by having camps every two months, identify them and offer them free treatment under the government scheme and also NGOs we have.”
“If simple case it will be done in Guwahati if complex will be done in Apollo Chennai. The government will support us by transporting the children to Guwahati or Chennai and take care of their food and stay,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Apollo Hospitals Guwahati, Abhijit Singh said,“We do not have specific data but the prevalence is high which is why you see the government is taking an effort and the private health care is also coming forward to see how we can collaborate to service this need. There is prevalence and this is an issue”.
Informing that one such screening camp was held early on Friday morning at Ganesh Das hospital he said, “40 children were screened of the age group 0-16 out of whom 15 have been chosen for surgery and mostly are within five years old.”
He further informed that such screening camps will also be held in other districts of the State.