The work done by Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals has transcended borders drawing wide acclaim. The Divine Mother & Child Health Program launched by the hospital last year in September 2017 has already touched thousands of lives impacting pregnant women and children in rural areas across 4 states (Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh) in India.

The program was presented at Stanford University, California, United States of America at the “Ideal Village Conference” on 26^th June 2018. The vision of the Conference and the Ideal Village program is to provide a holistic, integrated and collaborative technology platform designed to introduce alternate healthcare, energy, education/vocational training, sustainable agriculture, water/waste management systems, and rural entrepreneurship to create self-­‐sustainable, economically viable and healthy communities. This year “Empowerment of Women” formed the main theme of the conference, including various sub-themes such as health, education, social impact, rural entrepreneurship and gender equality. Eminent speakers who are stalwarts in their respective fields formed core resource persons for the conference including Dr. Rajiv Bahl, WHO Directorate (Geneva) – Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health R&D, Mr. Ashok Venkatesan, Consul General of India, San Francisco, Dr. Kanwaljeet S Anand, Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine and Dr. Sundar Kamath, Senior VP, Sanmina corp. CA. The healthcare session comprised of three talks – the first by Dr. Rajiv Bahl who spoke about WHO programs for maternal and child health implemented across the world, followed by Dr. Clea Sarnquist, Senior Research Scholar, Pediatrics (Infectious Disease), Stanford School of Medicine who shared her experience of initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa.

The talk was very well received and generated huge interest amongst the participants. HD Medical Company, based in California that designs biomedical devices, dedicated the latest version of its new device called “Vioscope” to the hospital. This device helps in detection of heart conditions with a user-friendly audio-visual interface that could be of major help for detection of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in the field even by para-medical or field workers. Founder and CEO of HD Medical, Mr. Arvind Thiagarajan and Consul General, Mr. Ashok Venkatesan presented the device to Dr. Shruti Prabhu, on behalf of the hospital for field trials of the device which will help change the face of CHD detection in rural child health screening.

                                 

Aditya, a calm and mature boy of 10, displays an understanding and composure beyond his age. Hailing from UP, he is the last of four siblings and has been carrying the burden of congenital heart disease due to lack of finances. He was successfully operated on the 13^th of June at our Palwal centre for closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD) with relief of RVOTO. He made an excellent recovery and a day prior to his discharge, confided in the surgeon that he wants to grow up to become a scientist.
 
The research team of Sai Sanjeevani were game for “Aditya’s Day Out” in the research lab. Keenly listening to what the researchers had to share, he was able to grasp complex scientific concepts quickly. The budding scientist also got his first taste of scientific experiments wherein he was made to participate in the process of DNA isolation and understand about DNA – the building blocks that make you!  
 
The overjoyed boy left the lab with a lot of memories and a resolution to return back as a scientist for our lab! He made the surgeon’s and research team’s day when he flashed his endearing smile and said, “I will never forget his day!”

Extra Corporal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO) was given by one distributor to Sai Sanjeevani on goodwill for a while. Little did we know, Anjali's life would be the first successful instance of pediatric cardiac ECMO in the region. Anjali came to Sanjeevani with severe cyanosis and was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot. Her surgery was quite uneventful and she was shifted to the ICU for recuperation. There was a sudden low cardiac output syndrome was observed and arrested following which, she required a cardiac massage and resuscitation for over 30 minutes and she could not be revived immediately. There was a parallel preparation and soon Anjali was taken on ECMOi. The entire team of Perfusionists, led by Ms Pooja Gupta worked continuously for over 24 hours on ECMO and the girl recovered by the next day. Anjali was slowly weaned off the machine and had a good recovery run in the ICU, Step-Down ICU and the post-operative ward before she was sent home, smiling.
Sai Sanjeevani, Naya Raipur is now able to provide ECMO facility which makes the existing pediatric cardiac surgery facility more robust and complete.

Team of Perfusionists: L to R : Suman Kalyan Mondal; Sharath Kumar K.P.; Sumit Maji; Pooja Gupta; Deepika Singh; Premlata Pal

Vanshika Dwiwedi, a 17 year old girl from Jhansi, was first seen at Sai Sanjeevani Raipur in 2015 by Cardiologist Dr Yogesh! She had a large inlet muscular VSD, and was decided for Device closure of VSD. Due to non-availability of Cathlab Services then, at Raipur hospital, the child had to wait. When her parents came to know about Cathlab facilities in Palwal hospital, as well as the cardiologist's transfer to Palwal, they followed him here. 

After complete Cardiology workup and the necessary fitness from local Gynecologist, Vanshika underwent a diagnostic angiography procedure and after profiling the size of defect, (which measured 20 mm on both sides and 9 mm in length) she was set to undergo the device closure. Her defect had tried to be closed from the usual approach of leg veins (femoral artery-femoral vein AV looping) attempting to deploy the device from venous end (antegrade approach) then later from Arterial end (tetrograde approach). 

As both the above couldn’t meet the desired entry across the defect, a neck line approach was utilised (where AV loop was achieved between Right Internal Jugular vein and Right femoral artery). Using neck veinous approach, a Muscular VSD device was successfully used for device closure of Ventricular Septal Defect. It was a very challenging situation as various approaches had to be tried out for desired results.

She tolerated the procedure well and was extubated and observed in CCU for next 12 hours, incidentally on the same day of the Research Centre inauguration by Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana. She had a good recovery, started walking and regular activities since next morning! She was discharged the next day. 

The cath lab in Palwal is one of a kind exclusive pediatriac cardiac cathlab - children are treated here without invasive surgery, allowing them to return home scar-free within 2 days of their procedure!

After heart-felt messages from our doctors, children who had undergone cath procedures in our facilities performed a sweet dance which was accompanied by visuals of the cath team in action over the last 1 year. The tiny tots also felicitated the team by offering roses to all the staff involved in both the Cath lab and cardiac care unit (CCU).

“Only in the Oneness of body, mind and spirit, can we cure that which needs to be endured and endure that which we cannot cure”

Celebrating International Yoga Day with staff and families at the centres in Naya Raipur and Palwal