Heart surgery for children sounds a little concerning and unnerving. However congenital heart defects are one of the leading birth defects. In India more than 200,000 children are born with a defect in the heart each year. But only 25% children are able to access timely treatment. The rest either don’t get diagnosed or get diagnosed too late. Lack of access to resources and awareness are the biggest reasons for this.
With improvements in medicine most children born with a heart defect can live near normal lives if they can access the treatment on time. Here is where Genesis Foundation a children’s heart foundation in India is playing a critical role. The Foundation has been working for the last 23 years in supporting the lesser privileged children born with a congenital heart defect. Till now they have given life a chance to 4600+ children.
The Need for Support for Interventions:
Pediatric cardiac care is still a speciality and not available in all places in the country. Most cardiac care facilities are available in Tier I and Tier II cities and that too in the private sector where the cost of treatment is out of reach for many people. Free heart surgery for poor in India and support for other non-surgical interventions remains the need of the hour. The treatment is expensive as interventions use sophisticated methods and equipment. For many people the cost of these interventions is too high to afford. For families that struggle to meet their daily needs a diagnosis like a congenital heart defect pushes them either into a cycle of debt or the child is denied a life altering treatment.
Financial Help for Heart Surgeries in India: There are a few places where one can get support for an intervention for a congenital heart defect. These are:
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram: Under this program started by the Government of India children from birth to 18 years are screened for birth defects for 32 conditions, including congenital heart defects. Children identified with a defect are provided intervention at the district level. Under this scheme, certain state emplaned private hospitals which have an MoU with the Government provide free services including free heart surgery for poor in India.
Hospital Trusts: There are certain hospitals that have set up their own trusts with the intent of providing discounted or free interventions to children whose families cannot afford the same. Some hospitals which provide free heart surgeries are Shree Satya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital, Narayana Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kings George Hospital, AMRITA Heart Care Foundation etc.
NGOs and Nonprofits: there are a few NGOs and trusts that have been providing financial support to the lesser privileged children needing an intervention for their congenital heart defect. Genesis Foundation, a children’s heart foundation in India works pan India to help children in the age group of 0-18 years in getting access to treatment. The Foundation works with a network of 30+ partner hospitals to provide care to the children in all parts of the country. Similarly, there are some other NGOs as well such as Child Heart Foundation that provide financial assistance to children in need of support.
Crowd Funding: Crowdfunding has become another important source for raising funds and people looking for financial assistance can use these platforms to generate funds to raise money. While these may not generate enough funds to support the entire intervention, a substantial amount can be raised.
Conclusion:
The cost of a congenital heart defect treatment is high. However, in most cases most children born with this defect can live near normal lives with just one intervention. The high costs should not be the reason for a child being denied the right to live and thrive. If one is looking for a free heart surgery for poor in India, there are many options. Few of these have been listed above. If you know someone who is need of financial support for an intervention share this information with them. In case you would like to support the treatment of a lesser privileged children to help the child get a chance at life, then connect with an NGO working in this space. Genesis Foundation, is one such NGO. To read more about their work visit www.genesis-foundation.net
