Date:04/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/04/stories/2008100453680300.htm

Kerala

EMS Hospital to offer 100 free heart surgeries

Staff Reporter

PERINTHALMANNA: The EMS Hospital and EMS Memorial Charitable Medical Trust will jointly offer free open-heart surgery to 100 poor patients as part of celebrating the birth centenary of E.M.S. Namboothiripad.

CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the programme here on Monday afternoon. Minister for Cooperation G. Sudhakaran will inaugurate the nursing college set up at the EMS Hospital on the occasion.

The free surgery programme will give preference to people with congenital heart ailments, and people requiring valve correction. Patients should produce income certificates from the village office, recommendation letters from the panchayat president, and a certificate from the doctor currently treating the patient. Application forms will be distributed from the EMS Hospital.

Applications will be scrutinised by a medical committee comprising chief cardiothoracic surgeon, chief cardiothoracic anaesthetist and chief cardiologist. Candidates will be selected by a committee comprising the chairmen of the hospital and the Medical Trust, District Collector, Trust secretary, and chief cardio surgeon.