KAMPALA — The Indian Association of Uganda will this year support 150 Ugandan children with heart-related complications to undergo open heart surgeries in India.
The support will cover the operations, air tickets, and upkeep for each patient and the caretaker.
Confirming the commitment, the Association said this week , the third batch of five heart patients was sent off for surgery in India, on Tuesday.
“Indian association (U) today did send off to the 3rd batch of 5 heart patients for surgery in India. We thank the Indian High Commission Commission in Uganda for free visas to all patients and caretakers, the Uganda Airlines for concession on tickets and Rotary Club of Ssese Kampala for support in surgery,” the association said in Tuesday.
Previously, the association sponsored five children for open heart surgery in India. However, the Uganda Heart Institute started a fundraising campaign to have 150 children operated.
Tycoon and philanthropist Sudhir Ruparelia is one of the trustees of the Indian Association in Uganda, and spearheads their charity efforts always supporting the association through his Ruparelia Foundation.
According to the Uganda Heart Institute – UHI, the common heart complications in children in Uganda include Rheumatic Heart Disease, Coronary artery, and abnormal heartbeats. Persons with Coronary Arteries require a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) procedure, in which the blocked portion of the coronary artery is bypassed with another piece of blood vessel.