Skip to main content

Mending Kids’ Hearts: Children dying preventable deaths from congenital heart disease



By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan shares a statistic with India, China and Indonesia: these four countries are home to half the children born with heart defects worldwide.
In Pakistan, a child born with a hole in the heart, known as congenital heart disease (CHD), is now healthier and living longer. But survival depends on how severe the defect is, how quickly it is diagnosed and how well it is treated. 
With most births taking place in rural communities, the number of babies born with heart defects is unclear – an estimate suggests that more than 60,000 infants with a hole in their heart are born each year. About half of these young patients will have a critical CHD and require surgery to survive one year. 
The Aga Khan University Hospital has stepped in to assist these children and their families. Its Mending Kids’ Hearts campaign, now in its fourth year, offers help and hope to those without financial means by covering the cost of quality surgical and medical care of children needing hospital procedures. 
Since the launch of the campaign in 2016, over 1,800 paediatric patients have undergone cardiac procedures at the University Hospital - a majority of whom received financial assistance of nearly PKR 400 million. 
To expand the reach of the Mending Kids’ Hearts campaign, this year AKUH is targeting 300,000 individuals through a camp in collaboration with Aga Khan Maternal and Childcare Centre, Hyderabad. The aim of the camp is to treat children who are overlooked by the health system, and to ensure that they get diagnosed and treated at the University Hospital in time.
Dr Babar Hasan, Service Line Chief of AKUH Children’s Hospital said: “We are now closer to our goal of saving over 1,000 children with CHD each year by 2020. At this rate, we are hoping to exceed our targets. None of this would have been possible without the support of our community which has stood by us in our mission to provide high quality care to young children regardless of their financial background.” 
The Mending Kids’ Hearts campaign has been working to raise both awareness of paediatric CHD and funds to support patients through the AKUH Patient Welfare Programme. 
Its most recent fundraising event saw supporters of life-saving corrective CHD surgeries gather at the Karachi Golf Club on Sunday to compete in AKUH’s signature golf tournament to enable access to quality cardiac care.
The four-man Texas Scramble format was won by the UMA team comprising of Khalid Jamil Siddiqui, Asad I. A. Khan, Khurram Khan, and Arshad I. A. Khan with a gross score of 58, 14 under par on the championship course.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KDSP: Empowering Individuals with Down Syndrome in Karachi

The Karachi Down Syndrome Program (KDSP), a beacon of hope and support, is making significant strides in empowering individuals with Down syndrome in the city. Founded in March 2014 by a group of passionate parents and individuals, KDSP addresses the critical need for comprehensive resources and platforms for those with Down syndrome in Karachi. Bridging the Gap: A Mission of Advocacy and Inclusion KDSP operates as a non-profit organization with a clear mission: to advocate for the value, acceptance, and inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome. Recognizing the limited support and resources available locally, KDSP was established to provide a nurturing environment where individuals with Down syndrome can lead independent and fulfilling lives. A Lifelong Journey of Support Understanding the unique needs of individuals with Down syndrome and their families, KDSP offers unwavering support from the moment a family receives a diagnosis.  They embark on a journey with each family, pro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Akbar Ali Khan elected AMUOBA President, appointed SSUET Chancellor

  By Abdul Qadir Qureshi (Pakistan News & Features Services) Akbar Ali Khan, son of the distinguished Engr Zakir Ali Khan, has been elected as the President of the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA), thereby assuming the position of Chancellor at Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET). He succeeds Jawaid Anwar as the university’s fourth Chancellor. SSUET was established in 1993 under the leadership of its founding Chancellor, Engr Z A Nizami. Following his passing in 2013, the role was subsequently held by Engr Adil Usman and Jawaid Anwar. Akbar Ali Khan now takes over this prestigious position, continuing his family’s legacy of service to the institution. The AMUOBA elections, held after a decade, witnessed the Zakir Ali Khan Panel securing victory over the Alig United Panel with a margin of 158 to 130 votes. Following his election, Akbar Ali Khan chaired the first Executive Committee meeting of AMUOBA, during which key office bearers we...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ambassador explains Chinese role in curbing COVID-19

By Masood Sattar Khan  (Pakistan News & Features Services) The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, attended the preparation and response plan of the new crown epidemic on April 24. According to the details shared by the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, Ambassador Yao Jing was invited to attend the Pakistan New Crown Outbreak Preparation and Response Plan (PPRP) on video conference. The meeting, organized by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of Economic Affairs, Khasro Bakhtiar, Prime Minister’s Health Adviser Dr Zafar Mirza, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, General Muhammad Afzal, WHO Director-General, Tan Desai besides the representatives of World Bank, United Nations, UNICEF, UNHCR, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and envoys from more than 20 countries.  Besides China, envoys from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, the European Unio...
Post a Comment
Read more