Free heart surgery project run by Dr. K.K. Aggarwal completes one year

Arvind Kejriwal is Becoming ‘Heart’ of Every Matter

New Delhi, January 13:  Those poor heart patients, who have no shoulder to lean on, can get ‘heart’ in Dr. K.K. Aggarwal.

 As Dr. Aggarwal uttered this in a press conference, someone named him the ‘Arvind Kejriwal’ of Medicine.

Does he buy the nickname? Dr. Aggarwal, Secretary General, Indian Medical Association (IMA) fails to foil the temptation of being equated to the man of the moment but he does a little value addition to foil the side effects and becomes like a ‘combination drug’.

Pointing to muffler slung over his neck, he said, ‘ Yes, you can call me Arvind Kejriwal of Medicine but I  also exemplify Narendra Modi’s good governance (pointing to his jacket) and also values of Gandhi (points to his cap). He says he wants to be seen exemplifying all three rolled into one.

The occasion was the first anniversary of Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation project for the free surgery of poor heart patients but the talk veered round to Arvind Kejriwal, new chief minister of Delhi as after AAP’s crushing victory he is becoming ‘heart’ of  every matter. On this occasion Heart Care Foundation of India announced partnering with IMA to help save girl from heart disease. He said that together they would provide 32 free surgeries to young girls suffering from heart disease and cannot afford treatment.  He has given a call for every branch of IMA to adopt one such girl for free surgery. On this occasion, there were small children who got surgery to treat holes in their hearts under this project. They were sure to die within 5 years but now they would live their full life.

Under the save girl partnership, IMA will help identify and adopt 32 girl children from across the country suffering from congenital  heart disease, in need of surgical intervention but unable to afford the treatment. The Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund was launched a year back with the basic ideology of ensuring that no person dies of a heart disease just because of their economical background.

Dr K K Aggarwal said, ‘Out of every 1000 live births, one child is born with congenital heart disease. Despite the fact that in today’s day and age surgery in children with complex heart disease is absolutely safe, every year about 78,000 infants born with congenital heart disease in India die due to lack of medical care. We at Heart Care Foundation of India believe that no person, irrespective of their financial status deserves to die just because they can’t afford treatment. Through the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund, in the last one year we have been able to provide the best possible financial and technical assistance needed for the cure of any form of cardiac problems to almost 279 patients. We hope to continue our endeavor of making a difference to the society in the future through the newly forged partnership with IMA.’

In the past one year, Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund has successfully helped 279 patients from the underprivileged section of the society. It has supported surgeries of 103 patients and averted surgeries of 176 people. The breakup of the surgeries includes 43 Congenital Heart Disease, 18 Valve Replacement, 11 Stent, 14 Bypass surgeries, 4 pacemakers and 10 Angiography. All surgeries were performed at the best hospitals of Delhi NCR. 38 surgeries were done in Medanta – The Medicity, 42 surgeries were done in National Heart Institute, 7 surgeries were done in G.B. Pant Hospital, 4 surgeries were done in  Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, 3 surgeries were done in Fortis and 9 surgeries were done in All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Harish Malik, one of the key supporters of the fund said, ‘We are glad that the fund has been successfully in bringing a difference in the lives of hundreds of people. With each life saved, Sameer continues to live in our hearts.’

The patients who have benefited from the fund were present at the conference as special guests. The helpline number +919958771177 for the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund is open from Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Individuals who wish to apply online can download the application form from the website, Click Here . An expert committee comprising of notable individuals would assess all applications received by the fund. Once sanctioned, the funds would be directly deposited in the bank account of the medical establishments treating the patient.