Date:02/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/02/stories/2009010254790600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Amount for children’s heart surgery goes up

Shastry V. Mallady

MADURAI: Funds provided by the State government to private hospitals for carrying out free heart surgeries for children have been increased.

A government order to this effect has been issued and the Health Department has asked all accredited private hospitals to expedite the surgeries for schoolchildren with heart ailments under ‘Ilam Sirar Irudhaya Padhukappu Thittam.’

S. Elango, Director of Public Health (DPH), told The Hindu here on Thursday that the government has acceded to the request of private hospitals seeking more money.

For each simple closed heart surgery for a child, the government has increased the amount to Rs. 20,000 from the present Rs. 10,000 given to private hospitals. For a simple open heart surgery, the amount has been enhanced to Rs.50,000 from Rs.30,000. According to Dr. Elango, the government has also increased the money reimbursed for major/complicated open heart surgeries to Rs. 1 lakh from Rs.70,000.

“Poor children up to 15 years who have to undergo heart surgery would benefit as the accredited private hospitals will expedite the process.”