Little one gets new lease of life

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 17

Two-year-old Jagmeet Singh, who was suffering from a congenital heart defect (hole), has been given a new lease of life by the state government.

Born in March 2016 to Pakka Kalan resident Manpreet Singh, the child often used to turn blue and had poor health. His uncle Balkaran Singh said Dr Navpreet Singh diagnosed the ailment during a health check-up at the village anganwari centre and referred the child under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram to the Civil Hospital, Bathinda.

ADC Sakshi Sawhney and Civil Surgeon Dr Hari Narain Singh said once the case was prepared, Jagmeet’s parents were told that they could get their son operated and treated free either at the PGI, Chandigarh, or Fortis Hospital, Mohali.

On March 4, the child’s parents admitted him to Fortis Hospital, Mohali, where a team of doctors operated upon the child using latest techniques. The child’s father said his son was treated free of cost.

Thanking the Punjab Government for this timely help, Manpreet said his family earned a livelihood by farming on land taken on contract. With meagre income, the family would not have been able to get Jagmeet operated, he said.