44 children from Odisha to undergo surgery at Mumbai hospital under central scheme

Berhampur: A total of 44 children suffering from congenital heart disease went to Mumbai from Odisha’s Ganjam district Monday for free surgery under a central scheme, officials said.

These children, aged between 3 months and 15 years, will be treated at the SRCC Children’s Hospital under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), they said.

A four-member team of doctors accompanied them to coordinate their treatment in Mumbai, said district manager of RBSK Lopamudra Mishra.

The doctors at the Mumbai hospital will test them first and schedule the surgeries, considering the condition of each patient, she said.

These children were identified during health screening at anganwadi centres and schools by RBSK teams working at the block level, she added.

“After being identified, they were treated at the City Hospital here. They were referred to the SRCC Hospital in Mumbai as doctors felt that they needed early surgery,” Mishra said.

RBSK was launched in February 2013 under the National Rural Health Mission.

Since the scheme was implemented in the district in 2016, a total of 668 children suffering from congenital heart disease have been successfully treated free of cost.

This was the first batch of children of 2025 to travel to Mumbai for treatment, Mishra said.

PTI

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