Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Thursday, Nov 15, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
It was a Children’s Day to remember for the young ones at the Frontier Lifeline hospital. 
royal visitor: Princess Nafa Ali of Jordan seen with children at the Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Chennai on Wednesday. CHENNAI: It isn’t every day that you get to meet a princess. For 30 children at the Frontier Lifeline hospital, it was a Children’s Day to remember as Princess Nafa Ali of Jordan was here on Wednesday to spend time with them. The Princess’ visit was particularly thrilling for the hospital’s young patients from overseas – there are currently around 12 children affected with Congenital Heart Diseases (CHD) from Iraq and Bahrain undergoing treatment here. Princess Nafa Ali interacted with the children and their families, and came prepared with a wide assortment of gifts for them. The children – particularly the ones from Tamil Nadu – were far from being overawed by their famous visitor. “I don’t like Lion King,” said one, when receiving a gift from the Princess (thankfully, there were plenty more to avert a crisis). The occasion was equally exciting for their parents, who posed for pictures with the Princess. Tahsin Ali from Iraq said that he was delighted by the occasion. His four-year-old son Sultan was diagnosed with CHD by his local doctor in Iraq. “We have come a long way for treatment,” Tahsin Ali said. “We don’t have the medical facilities in our country to treat diseases like this, especially after the war.” Sultan was operated on last week and is recovering well. India is becoming an increasingly popular destination for medical treatment in West Asia. “For patients from the Middle East, it is cost-effective to come to India for treatment,” Princess Nafa Ali said. “The medical research done here and the treatment offered here are groundbreaking. While we have good medical facilities in Jordan, India outweighs them in cost and efficiency.” Dr. Sanjay Cherian, cardiac surgeon and director, Frontier Lifeline, said the hospital had treated 903 children with CHD from overseas, offering medical concessions worth Rs.1.73 crore. Dr. Cherian added that there was an urgent need to increase awareness of the problem in India. “CHDs are the most common cause of death worldwide, claiming 17.5 million lives every year,” he said. “But the awareness of the problem in India is very poor. Maternal malnutrition is also very high, and most defects begin to happen in the womb.” For Sultan and 30 of his friends, the day was a welcome break from their usual hospital routine. There was a cake, gifts and sweets to make it a special day to remember – and of course, the small matter of a royal visitor.
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