Good Samaritans to the rescue of girl suffering from heart ailment
A cute cherub, Sara Sethi, would often catch fever. Hailing from Nakodar, the six-year-old’s parents felt worried as her fever fluctuated in the range of 100-102 degrees Fahrenheit for over a month.
Parents Sonu Sethi and Savita recall how they went about various clinics in Nakodar and even in Jalandhar looking for the doctor who could diagnose the problem. “Around nine months back, we approached Dr Anshuman Verma, a paediatrician. He conducted several tests on our daughter. After conducting echocardiography, she was diagnosed with a hole in her heart,” said the parents. Sara is studying in class I in a private school in Nakodar.
Sharing the case details, Dr Verma said, “When the parents brought Sara to me, she was feeling very weak because of frequent fever. During check-up, I heard a sound in her heart and suspected it due to a hole in the heart. During the echo test, it turned out to be a case of infective endocarditis. There was a bacterial vegetation along the walls of her heart. Since it was a life-threatening problem, Sara needed immediate treatment.”
“Sara remained a fighter throughout her treatment. Thankfully, I did not see her going cranky during even once. But a situation arose where the family was required to spend at least Rs 3 lakh on her treatment under an expert paediatric cardiologist. My immediate concern was to look for the best and affordable treatment for the patient,” said the doctor.
Dr Verma turned out to be a Good Samaritan for Sara and used his contacts in Delhi to find a way out for affordable treatment. “I contacted by friend Dr Adhi Arya, a paediatric cardiologist. He suggested bringing the patient to Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital at Palwal that offers treatment of heart issues of children. The hospital does not have a billing counter. The patients do not have to spend any amount and the entire treatment is free. Sara’s parents went to the Palwal hospital, but unfortunately the waiting time was too long. It was not possible for us to wait for long to get Sara’s surgery done,” said Dr Verma.
The doctor then made Sara’s family approach Genesis, an NGO working in the area for helping patients facing financial constraints. “The efforts paid off and the patient was operated upon at Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh. The bacterial colony in her heart was removed. The surgery went well and soon the patient recovered fully,” said Dr Verma, adding that Sara’s parents had to spend about Rs 20,000-30,000 as the surgery was done on concessional rates.
Thanking Dr Verma profusely for saving their daughter’s life, Sara’s parents said, “Had it not been his diagnosis and guidance, we would have been doomed.”
Dr Verma said he only tried to show the parents the right direction. “They made their own efforts and the Almighty kept his hand on the little girl. Now, whenever she comes to my hospital for her regular check-up, she is playful and jovial. On seeing her hale and hearty, I get a huge sense of satisfaction,” he added.
Punjab