Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 13 Dec: More than 100 children availed of services on the first day of a two-day free screening camp for detection of congenital heart disease, being organised by the Oniya Heart Foundation (OHF), in collaboration with the Arunachal Life Saving Foundation and the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW), at RK Mission Hospital here from Friday.
OHF is named after seven-year-old Tad Oniya, daughter of APSCW Vice Chairperson Nabam Yahi, who was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect, known as single ventricle, when she (Oniya) was just 45 days old.
Speaking with this reporter, Yahi said that it was overwhelming to see such a large number of participants turning up for screening, and underscored the need for paediatric cardiologists in the state’s hospitals.
“I learned about paediatric cardiology in 2019, when I was treating my daughter’s heart disease. Had there been a paediatric cardiologist here in the state itself, I would not have needed to go outside for my child’s treatment,” she said.
Parents from far-flung places, such as Daporijo, Tawang, Tezu, Khonsa, Seppa, Aalo, Pasighat and others, came with their children for screening, Yahi informed, adding that “there were about seventeen serious patients requiring immediate surgery.”
A three-month-old child with a serious heart condition
was referred from the camp to the TRIHMS, she said.
Dr Edwin Francis, paediatric cardiologist at Aster Medcity in Kochi, Kerala, conducted the screening, along with paediatric cardiologist Dr Bojesh V from the same hospital.
“Ninety-eight percent of the children who came for the screening had serious cardiac issues and two-three patients have complex issues that require immediate attention,” Dr Francis said.
