School Children Undergo Heart Surgery
Two children, who were recommended surgery for their heart ailment, were operated upon in a private hospital under the Ilam Sirar Irudhaya Padukappu Thittam. The thittam, a new health scheme for school children suffering from heart diseases, was launched at Annal Gandhi Government Hospital here last year. Subsequently, 642 children from across the district were examined. Of these, 112 children were recommended surgery. Among them, 28 underwent surgery at government-approved hospitals in Madurai and Coimbatore. According to sources , P Alaguselvi (16) of Othakulam in Manapparai and C Revathi (8) of Allithurai, both ailing from ventricular septal defect, were operated upon on January 7 and 9 respectively.
Both were doing well and Nehru, District Collector T Soundiah, corporation commissioner T T Balsamy and deputy director (Health) Dr V Veerapandian visited the children. Nehru handed over a cheque for Rs 1 lakh (Rs 50,000 each) to KMC managing director Dr S Chandrakumar. The Collector said that the Health Department has identified 50 children who need immediate surgery. and they would be operated at the rate of two children a week.
