MoU signed to provide cardiac therapy to children from Odisha for free

Bhubaneswar: With an aim to provide free cardiac treatment services to poor and needy children of Odisha, the State Government today signed an MoU with Prasanti Medical Services and Research Foundation. As per the agreement, the poor and needy children of Odisha will get cardiac treatment services at Satya Sai Heart Hospital in Ahmedabad for next two years.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik; Justice Vineet Saran, Judge of the Supreme Court; Justice Mohammad Rafiq, Chief Justice of Orissa High Court; Justice Kalpesh Jhaveri, Former Chief Justice of Odisha and Health & Family Welfare Minister Naba Das were present on the occasion.

The hospital was roped in on November 15, 2018 for providing free cardiac services to the children of Odisha with cardiac ailments. As per the agreement, the State Government identifies and bears the transportation cost of ailing children.

All the services are provided free of cost. Till now, 1,019 children have undergone cardiac surgery and cured of their heart ailments. The next batch of children with cardiac ailments will be sent for treatment soon after a brief pause due to the Covid situation.

All pre and post-operative care of patients at the hospital, including medicines, stents, coils, etc are borne by the Foundation. The transport assistance is provided by the State Government to the patients along with escorts referred to PMSRF, as per their eligibility under different government schemes implemented in the State.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said his Government is committed to make all efforts for fulfilling the healthcare needs of the people, especially the under-privileged and under-served, in an equitable, accessible, affordable, transparent and time-bound manner. One such remarkable step in this direction has been to ensure that the poor people of Odisha get free cardiac treatment and are given a new lease of life, he added.

Expressing happiness over free treatment of more than 1,000 patients from the state with cardiac defects since the agreement with PMSRF a couple of years back, the Chief Minister commended the foundation for its commitment to serve the humanity. In appreciation of this effort, the State Government is renewing the MoU to ensure that poor people continue to receive this critical health service, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Supreme Court Judge Justice Vineet Saran described Odisha as his second home. It’s his privilege to do anything for the state, he added.

It may be mentioned here, it was Justice Vineet Saran who introduced the PMSRF to Odisha.

Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court, Justice Mohammad Rafiq appreciated the selfless, charitable commitment of the Government of Odisha and the Satya Sai Heart Hospital. He said that there is no higher religion than service to humanity.

Justice K.S. Jhaveri said that Odisha is very close to his heart. He wished health and wealth for the people of the State. He also appreciated the way the Chief Minister is leading the State.
Minister Naba Das, Managing Trustee of Satya Sai Heart Hospital, Manoj Bhimani, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, ACS Health & FW PK Mohapatra and other senior officials were present during the programme.