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SACH – So Far

  
   
 

Save A Child’s Heart is undoubtedly the largest voluntary organization in Asia that provides care and treatment to underprivileged children suffering from pediatric heart diseases.

  
     
 

Dr.Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Group of Hospitals, the pioneer of modern healthcare in India, started the first facility dedicated to children with heart diseases five years ago at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. Apart from providing the infrastructure, he also established a charity called SACH (Save A Child’s Heart Foundation) to provide financial aid for children belonging to lower socio-economic families.

  
     
 
Gayathri , a 5 days old little child was already in the jaws of death when she was brought to us for the first time by her poor and helpless parents, blue, deoxygenated ,frail and struggling for every breath. But she was destined to live. Today gayathri is an active 2-years-old bundle of energy and source of pride and joy to her parents as she amazes her family and doctors with the progress she has made. While our heart still beats for her, her heart keeps tune to the joys and wonders of life that unfolds before her innocent eyes every day. Gaythri was the very first case treated by save a Child’s heart foundation, but continues to be our inspiration even today after almost 2000 successful surgeries. Till date.
 
 

Medical Camps
 
The foundation started work by organizing screening camps for children all over India. We were immensely supported by Indian Association of Pediatricians; this exercise helped us to have an idea of the disease burden and design a program that suits us.
 
 
  • SACH organized free diagnostic camps at primary and rural health care centers in Warangal, Vijayawada, Guntur, Karimnagar, West Godavari, Kurnool, and Medak districts of Andhra Pradesh.
 
 
  • SACH has conducted similar activities in Gujarat at Ahmedabad, Nadiad, Vadodara and Surat in association with IAP Members (Indian Association of Pediatricians).
 
 
  • Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela of Orissa have also witnessed similar activities from SACH.
 
 
  • SACH conducted free heart diseases screening camps in Kolkatta, Pune, Nagpur and Chandrapur in Maharashtra
 
 
  • Apart from the free camps in the SACH team of Doctors did scientific programs in 21 towns and cities across the country for doctors in association with the local IAP Branches (Indian Associations of Pediatricians)
  
 
  • SACH – Dil Se.. in association with AAPI (Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin) and Apollo Hospitals organized a conference for physicians to update medical fraternity on the disease burden and the need for their involvement.
 
 
SACH along with Apollo Hospitals organized the 7th Annual Conference of Pediatric Cardiac Society of India. 400 pediatric cardiologists from across the globe participated in the conference and surgeries for underprivileged children were taken up during the conference. Specialists like Dr.Mohan Reddy Chief Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Stanford University, USA who made head lines in February, 05 performing surgery on a grape sized heart of a week old premature infant after the doctors said there was a zero percent chance of survival. Dr.Alain Seraff, Head of Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Marie-Lanelongue Hospital, Paris who attended the conference applauded SACH initiative to provide succor to the tiny hearts.
 
 
 
Hyderabad ‘rush’: On 7th August 2004 over 1000 children with heart diseases gathered in Hyderabad capital of Andhra Pradesh, India demanding help from Government. Of these 504 children were screened by SACH on a single day and appropriate treatment advice given
 
 
 

The Cuddapah Experience

  
 
Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh is the only district in the country where every child with heart disease has been identified during free screening camps and treated. The program was the first in the country where the SACH team
 
 
  • Trained the health workers and anganwadi staff of the district to do primary screening at the village level
 
 
  • Identified children screened by experts at a district level camp
 
 
  • The children needing surgery were prioritized according to the urgency and are being treated (over 400 children operated so far)
 
 
  • Telemedicine link has been established with the district govt hospital for follow-up care.
  
 

Treatment for children from other countries
 
Save A Child’s Heart has provided heart care to children from other countries. The Kanu Heart Foundation, Nigeria sent critically ill children from Lagos-Nigeria for surgery. The children were treated by SACH.
 
 

Medical Expertise: Save A Child’s Heart team one of the first team in India that performed the most rare and difficult surgeries. Many complicated cases involving premature babies and infants are referred here. Some surgery techniques like Permembranous VSD Device Closure, uni-focalization in children with VSD pulmonary atresia, single stage correction, Arterial switch operation in children with TGA - transposition of great arteries and Valvoplasties in newborn are done at SACH.

 
     
 

What keeps us going despite the tremendous pressures is the impact of SACH on children. Out of the children operated over 98 percent children survived, over 50 percent children who had remote chance of survival have emerged from the shadows of death because of timely medical intervention. Simply put, all these children can now lead a normal life

  
   
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