Ranchi: The Jharkhand Health Department will organise free screening camps for children suffering from congenital heart diseases in Latehar and Ranchi on October 29 and 30, respectively, to help ensure timely diagnosis and treatment, particularly for children from economically disadvantaged families.
The camp in Latehar will be held at the Town Hall near the Police Line on October 29, from 10 am to 5 pm. In Ranchi, the camp will take place at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) auditorium on October 30, during the same hours.
According to Dr Rahul Kishore Singh, state nodal officer for Information, Education and Communication (IEC), children aged 0 to 18 years with congenital heart conditions will be eligible for free screening and treatment. Special attention will be given to conditions such as Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) and Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), which include abnormalities commonly described as holes in the heart.
State Health Mission campaign director Shashi Prakash Jha has appealed to parents, public representatives and community members to inform the Health Department about children who may require medical attention. Early identification and timely treatment can significantly improve outcomes for children with congenital heart conditions.
For registration and further information, families can contact Mukesh Kumar, state coordinator of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), at 6205524109 or Aditya Kumar at 6287972253. They can also approach the respective district Civil Surgeon’s office, the nearest government health centre or call the health helpline at 104.
Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari said financial difficulties should not prevent children from receiving treatment for congenital heart diseases. He assured families that the government would facilitate free diagnosis, treatment and surgery, along with support for travel, accommodation and meals for children and their parents.
Recalling a recent occasion when children were sent for treatment from Hatia railway station, the minister said he had witnessed the relief and hope of families who had previously been unable to afford their children’s medical care.
“My objective is to ensure that no poor, tribal or needy child in Jharkhand has to compromise on life because of a lack of treatment. Providing every child with better health and a new lease of life is our priority,” Ansari said.
Under the initiative, eligible children will receive necessary cardiac examinations, medicines and surgical treatment at no cost. The support package also covers hospital accommodation and meals, travel arrangements for children and their guardians, and post-operative follow-up, including monitoring until they return home.
The programme is being implemented through the Health Department’s RBSK initiative in collaboration with Amrita Hospital. The arrangement is intended to ensure continuity of care, from identifying children with congenital heart conditions to treatment, surgery and post-operative monitoring.
More than 300 children with congenital heart diseases have already undergone successful free surgeries this year after being referred to Amrita Hospital in Kochi and Sathya Sai Hospital in Ahmedabad, according to the Health Department.
The Amrita Hospital team has reached the district to support the screening initiative. The department has urged families who suspect that their children may have congenital heart conditions, particularly those unable to afford treatment, to come forward and seek assistance.