SRINAGAR, JUNE 16 (KMW): Director SKIMS, Prof Showkat Ali Zargar today informed that department of Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgery is organizing the 2nd workshop on “Congenital Cardiac Surgery†from 16th to 21st June at SKIMS here.
The workshop will be organized in collaboration with “Healing Little Hearts†organization from UK, a registered charity working under the patronage of Dr.Sanjiv Nichani that sends specialist medical teams to perform lifesaving heart operations on babies and children.
Addressing a press conference, Prof Zargar said that a weeklong workshop was conducted in the month of March this year in which 7 patients were operated by the specialist team of doctors supported by doctors from the department of CVTS, SKIMS. He said that CardioVascular Surgeries have been performed since 1982, however, till last year we did not have a separate ICU adding that the Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah during the inauguration of different projects including Cardio-Thoracic Intensive Care Unit, December last year, was pleased to see the patients who had undergone open heart surgery with good outcome at SKIMS and desired to help the department having pediatric cardiac surgery as a full-fledged specialty.
Prof Zargar said that the Chief Minister personally took keen interest to invite the overseas team of pediatric cardiac surgeons from UK.
The Press conferences were also addressed by team leader Dr.Sanjiv Nichani, who said that their purpose to come Srinagar is to operate poorest children free of cost. He said earlier this year, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah approached the organization and requested to come to Srinagar and share their expertise. He said we had a very successful camp in the month of March in which 7 children were operated successfully adding that we had pleasure working with Prof G. N. Lone and his team. He said babies being very sensitive; the whole procedure becomes all the more challenging coupled with infrastructure constraints.
Dr. Nichani lauded the effort of the local teams of the doctors who have been working in tandem to increase the outcome of both pediatric as well as adult open heart cardiac surgery at SKIMS. He said we have pledged to come here again and again and we look forward to work with the local team of doctors. He said the hospital needs more equipment including special breathing machines, specialists pumps etc besides further investment is needed in physical infrastructure.
Prof Lone who heads the CVTS department highlighted the various initiatives taken to enhance infrastructure and upgrade the skills of the faculty. He said new cardiac machines, ventilators and other critical instruments have been procured during the last one and half year and more machines and equipment will be added soon.
He said the department has seen remarkable change for last one & a half year as the outcome of both Pediatric as well as adult open heart cardiac surgery has increased dramatically with an overall success rate of more than 97%. He said the department has trained and skilled faculty who carry out routine pediatric cardiac surgery and this kind of partnership will certainly upgrade their skills further and our doctors will gain more confidence through such experiences.
Prof Lone thanked the Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah for his moral and financial support to the whole programme.
The present oversees team of doctors includes Dr. Sanjiv Nachani, Consultant Paediatric Cardiac Intensive Care, Dr. Demetris Taliotis Consultant Padiatric Cardiolog, Dr. Aparna U Hoskote , Consultant Cardiac Intensive Care, Dr. Lorenzo Sc Grazioli, ConsultantPaediatric cardiac Anaesthesia, Dr. Attilio A Lotto, Consultant Paedtric Cardiothoracic Surgeon, besides ICU and OT Nurses.
