Rotary Int’l felicitates Fortis Hospital for 400 surgeries on children

Our Correspondent

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Mohali, December 9

Rotary International today feted Fortis Hospital here for conducting 400 cardiac surgeries on economically disadvantaged children in India and abroad under the Rotary Heartline Project in partnership with the Rotary Club of Chandigarh.

Ashish Bhatia, regional director (North), Fortis Healthcare Ltd, received the 400th Heart Surgery plaque from the world president of Rotary International, KR Ravindran. He was accompanied by Abhijit Singh,

facility director, Fortis, Mohali, and Dr Gurbir Singh, regional medical director (North), Fortis Healthcare.

Among those present at the ceremony held at Fortis Hospital were KR Ravindran’s wife Vanathy and

Rajendra K Saboo, former world president of Rotary International.

Ravindran commended Fortis Hospital for its contribution to the humanitarian cause and for saving the lives of children from around the world.

Bhatia commended the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery team at Fortis, led by executive director Dr TS Mahant, and said, “Working with the Rotary Club has been a great privilege that is in complete alignment with the corporate philosophy of Fortis, articulated by the late Dr Parvinder Singh, founder chairman, Fortis Healthcare.”

Bhatia said it was humbling to see that 400 children had received a fresh lease of life due to the partnership between Fortis and Rotary.

The project was initiated in 2004 with the PGI as one of the partners. Fortis came on board in 2006, and since then had successfully operated on and saved lives of children not only from India but also from Pakistan, Nepal, Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria and Rwanda, said DP Singh, president, Rotary Club of Chandigarh.

Dr Mahant said 11-month-old Junaid from Karachi, Pakistan, was one of the first few children who was operated on successfully.

Some of the patients who had been operated on under the programme also participated in the function and received a hamper of goodies from the Rotary. A few regular donors to the Heartline project were also feted.