VIDYA SETHURAMAN
India Post News Service
India remains the world’s capital for congenital heart disease (CHD), with 300,000 children born with this each year. Without medical/surgical care, over 25 per cent of children die before their first birthday, contributing to over 10 per cent of the infant mortality rate and resulting in over 250 children dying every day; many more die in infancy or in the preschool ages. Only a small fraction of children with CHD can afford cardiac surgery, which can cost over $100,000 in the US.
Heart to Heart (H2H) Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of children born with CHD, by providing free pediatric cardiac surgeries in collaboration with the group of Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals in India. Since February 2014, these hospitals have also been providing primary, secondary, and tertiary health care exclusively to children with CHD and over 10,000 surgeries have been performed totally free of cost.
Currently operating in Naya Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Palwal (Haryana), and Kharghar (Navi Mumbai), H2H is committed to breaking the vicious “health-poverty cycle” for the rural poor in India and in many other countries. Highly competent, comprehensive, compassionate care is given to all patients completely free, while their families receive free housing and free food. Frugal innovations in CHD care have reduced the average cost of open-heart surgery to only $1,200 per patient, which would otherwise be $75,000 to $125,000 in the US and $5,000 to $9,000 in India.
Sunil Gavaskar, former Indian cricketer, inspirational speaker, philanthropist and the chairman of the Board of Governors for H2H Foundation is touring all across the USA to raise awareness and participation to support the cause.
A recipient of Padma Bhushan award for his contribution to Indian cricket, Gavaskar has personally sponsored 34 surgeries to match his 34 test centuries. “Heart to Heart with Sunil Gavaskar” events were hosted by H2H Foundation September 6 and in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gavaskar interacted with his fans at both the events and spoke on his leadership, career, and life
He launched his new innings with a double century to support over 200 lifesaving heart surgeries for children in India. These life-giving surgeries will be performed by the Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals in India.
“It’s a great opening innings to the multi-city USA tour to support free heart surgeries for children in India and I am very thankful for the overwhelming participation by many in New Jersey, Silicon Valley and Atlanta”, said Gavaskar. The events raised donations that will help 250 kids for their surgeries.
