Nobel Peace prize nominee praises Lankan heart surgeons

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Sri Lanka's medical fraternity and heart surgeons in particular received a warm compliment from the visiting world renowned US Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Jeremy R Torstveit, who claimed Sri Lanka was on par with the best in the world when it came to open heart surgery on children.

The two time Nobel Peace prize nominee, appointed Honorary Consul by the Government, in recognition of his efforts to help Sri Lanka to combat heart diseases, attributed the success, to selfless dedication and commitment by both local doctors and authorities.

In an interview with the Daily News, Dr. Torstveit said since his first visit to Sri Lanka in 1991, heart surgery in the country has made remarkable progress, and at present it was on par with the very best programs in the western world.

Identifying the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) in Colombo, the only institution in Sri Lanka that engages in complex heart surgeries on children, Dr. Torstveit said the success rate had gone beyond 95 per cent, which placed the LRH on par with the very best in countries like US and UK.

In Sri Lanka, for every 1,000 new births, there are six to eight born with congenital heart problems. Around 2,000-2,500 children are born every year with heart defects and 2\3(1400-1600) of these will need surgery\intervention for their heart lesions.

If they are diagnosed early and proper treatment given, over 90 per cent could be cured. They would grow to adulthood without complications.

According to the authorities at the LRH hospital 30-40 new patients are added every week to the waiting list. Over 1000 await in the list for complex heart surgery.

According to authorities at the LRH, the cost involved in heart surgeries at private institutions is considered to be enormous, and beyond reach for almost 99 per cent of parents who seek treatment for their child's heart lesions at the LRH clinics. Thus the State run LRH which provides every treatment free of charge has been the only lifeline for thousands of children, who need timely intervention with life saving complex heart surgeries to cure their ailing heart.

Due to high costs involved, the State alone finds it difficult to fund necessary expansion which would bring down the waiting period for surgery of a patient. Thus the LRH with the help of the medical fraternity has set up a fund "Save A Heart Save A Child" to help save young life.

For information contact LRH through 011\2689331-3 Ex.307