Over 1,000 Sri Lankan Children Await Life-Saving Heart Surgeries

More than 1,000 children in Sri Lanka are waiting for critical heart surgeries, but a new partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Rotary Club of Colombo West promises renewed hope through life-saving treatment opportunities in India.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Colombo West, has launched a new initiative to provide life-saving heart surgeries for children suffering from congenital heart diseases. The programme comes as more than 1,000 Sri Lankan children remain on waiting lists for essential cardiac operations.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed yesterday (11) between Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe and Rotary Club of Colombo West President K. P. Nagaraja. Under this agreement, 50 children will receive heart surgeries at Amrita Hospital in Kochi, India. The project is part of a Rotary Global initiative jointly supported by the Rotary Clubs of Colombo West and Cochin West.

According to the Ministry, the collaboration is designed to ease the existing backlog and ensure that children in critical condition are given timely access to medical care. Eligible patients will be chosen through medical evaluations conducted by specialists from the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo.

This marks the second phase of the initiative. Two years ago, 60 Sri Lankan children successfully underwent heart surgeries at Amrita Hospital, returning home with renewed health and bringing hope to their families. The continued partnership stands as a testament to the power of global cooperation in saving young lives.