Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha Launches Free Medical Services for Children with Heart Disease
On Thursday, Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha announced that the state government aims to provide a healthy and normal life to children with congenital physical problems. The government has decided to offer free medical services to children with congenital heart disease.
Dr Saha made this announcement while inaugurating the first state-level screening camp for Congenital Heart Disease in collaboration with Apollo Children’s Hospital Chennai at the Agartala Government Nursing College Auditorium, IGM Hospital, Agartala.
He emphasized the importance of working for the people, a priority also highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dr Saha mentioned that congenital physical anomalies are common and can be detected through various tests before birth. If detected after birth, appropriate treatment is necessary.
Tripura has 44 dedicated mobile health teams that visit Anganwadi Centers to screen children from zero to 6 years old daily. Children aged 6 to 18 are screened in government-aided and private schools. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, the state provides primary care and surgery for children with birth defects like congenital heart disease, hearing impairment, clubfoot, visual impairment, and neural tube defects.
The program includes three District Early Intervention Centers in Gomati, Dhalai, and Unakoti districts, with plans for another in West Tripura. The State Child Health Program also offers primary treatment for congenital problems, and so far, about 1,021 treatments have been conducted. This includes around 2,000 cleft lip and palate surgeries, 630 congenital heart disease treatments, 40 clubfoot treatments, and 15 neural tube defect treatments.
Dr Saha also mentioned that Apollo Hospital authorities have assured their support in providing treatment to children with congenital heart disease. Additional Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department Dr Brammit Kaur, Director of Health Department Dr Sanjib Ranjan Debbarma, Director of Medical Education Dr HP Sharma, and Director of Family Welfare and Disease Prevention Department Dr Anjan Das were present at the event.
