The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Children with heart diseases to be screened

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 08, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Children with heart diseases to be screened

Special Correspondent

Two lakh children suffering from heart problems in the State, says Health Minister

K. Rosaiah

HYDERABAD: The State Government will take up screening of children with congenital heart diseases in a big way next month.

The screening will be held separately in all three regions of the State, Health Minister K. Rosaiah told a convention on `child cardiac patients: response of civil society' organised by the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) here on Monday.

The convention coincided with the second death anniversary of Sobhan, a 12-year-old boy from Karimnagar who passed away during a demonstration organised by MRPS here to demand free treatment to children with heart ailments. After his death, two more boys lost their lives during treatment in hospitals.

These deaths forced the Government to shift nearly 1,000 children for treatment in various hospitals of the city. Over 5,000 children were also screened for ailments at camps across the State shortly after the deaths. The Government had also decided then to conduct the screening camps every six months.

The screening next month would only be the second since then. Mr. Rosaiah admitted that the camps could not be held as promised for various reasons. He said two lakh children were believed to be suffering from heart problems in the State.

Contradictory versions

Responding to a complaint of hospital managements that their bills for treating children were pending with the Government, he said there were contradictory versions over the payment. While the officials were claiming that the bills were cleared, the managements insisted they were still due. He promised to settle the matter soon.

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