Recently Four Ethiopian patients underwent successful Open Heart Surgeries at Jayadeva Institute. Out of four, twoof them were blue babies, one was suffering from Double Outlet Right Ventricle and the other child was suffering from Large hole in the heart with Severe Pulmonary Hypertension.

The Children were from East African Nation,Ethiopia, and were waiting for years for Foreign Surgical Team to arrive in Addis Ababa where there are some centers having facility to do Open Heart Surgeries. Parents say in Ethiopia do not have Paediatric Cardiac Surgeons to perform Complex Congenital Heart Surgeries. One child was listed in Israel but because of Covid, they could not go there.

These Complex heart surgeries are routine surgeries at Jayadeva Hospital according to Dr. P.S. Seetharama Bhat, who performed these surgeries.

Master Tibebesilasse Kassahun aged 16 years from Guleli and Baby Kejan Haile aged 6 years from Angecha, Ethiopia were suffering from Tetrology of Fallot.Miss Mezida Abdu aged 12 years from Kolfe Kerano, Ethiopia was suffering from Double Outlet Right Ventricle who required a Complex Intraventricular Tunnel Operation. Miss Bilen Workineh aged 13 years from Buralew, Ethiopia required Surgery for VSD and PDA.

According to Dr. C N Manjunath, Director - out of every 1000 babies born, 6-7 will have these complex congenital diseases more commonly in the form of Tetralogy of Fallot, Heart Holes or narrowing of the valves. The usual symptoms of heart holes are fever, recurrent cough, common cold, Pneumonia, growth retardation and bluish discolouration of skin and nails and poor weight gain. Most of these children with these diseases die before the age of 10 years, if not operated.

All these patients are basically from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and they are ailing from financially constrained families.

Rotary International at Ethiopiahas contacted Bangalore Rotary International District 3190 and Needy Heart Foundation Rotarians Mr. Rajendra Rai and others to arrange Surgery at Jayadeva Hospital, Bangalore. In turn they contacted us and sent all the medical reports of these patients through Mail for further advice and treatment.

The Paediatric Cardiac Surgeons at our Institute have studied all the cases and decided to call them for Surgery during the first week of December 2022 and accordingly they were admitted on 07.12.2022.We have conducted these procedures at a subsidized cost.

Ethiopia with a population of Ten Crores has lakhs of children with Congenital Heart Disease requiring Surgical Intervention.

The Team of Doctors headed by Dr. P S Seetharama Bhat, Dr. Divya, Dr. Chirag, Dr. Chandrasenaalong with other Associate Doctors and Staff have successfully conducted these heart surgeries.

All these children made smooth, had an uneventful recovery and their parents and after ten days stay at Hospital, they flied back to Ethiopia yesterday. Ethiopian Rotary Members are very much impressed with the facilities, hospitality and quality treatment provided at an affordable cost.

The parents of these children whole heartedly thanked the Karnataka Government and the Director, Dr. C.N.Manjunath for allowing them to get operated at Jayadeva Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

DR.C.N.MANJUNATH