Bangalore: India produces 20 million children every year, and at least three lakh of them are born with heart diseases, said Devi Shetty, cardiologist, Narayana Hrudayalaya.

Dr. Shetty told presspersons on Thursday that most families could not afford to spend Rs. 2.5 lakh for their children's heart operations. "Most of them think that it is easier to have another child than spend huge amounts on surgery," he said.

Twenty-five heart operations were performed everyday at Narayana Hrudayalaya. Dr. Shetty said that the hospital had set itself a target of performing 70 operations a day. "At present, we perform heart operations on at least 12 children a day. No child has ever been sent away without being treated," he said. He said that children from 22 countries throughout the world were treated at the hospital. The Seva Clinic has funded the operations of 100 patients so far. "What we are doing is small. The Seva Clinic has set an example and it is for the others to learn and try to emulate it in their own way," Dr. Shetty said.

Sunita Maheswari, paediatric cardiologist at Narayana Hrudayalaya, said the incidence of heart disease was high in India. She said that the hospital had a special 60-bed paediatric ward for children with heart disease.

"Narayana Hrudayalaya had started a training programme for doctors and nurses to sensitise and teach them to deal with children," she said.

Ten patients, mostly children from lower income groups, were assured of free treatment by the Seva Clinic.

Sabhapathi, a 21-year-old heart patient, said that he was grateful to have received free treatment at Narayana Hrudayalaya.

His treatment was funded by the Seva Clinic. "I am from a small village in Tamil Nadu. There is no way I could have funded this," he said.

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