KARACHI: The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) has started providing healthcare facilities to children suffering from congenital heart diseases and other cardiac disorders at birth.

According to a press release, the newly established Paediatric Cardiac Unit of the Institute organised community outreach camps in rural areas of Sindh province in recent weeks, where they identified children with symptoms that characterise cardiac disorders, including bluish skin discoloration, which is a sign of insufficient oxygen in the blood or a heart murmur. This caused alarm bells among the doctors attending to the patients at the camp. They brought a 12-year-old boy, Zahoor, to SIUT in Karachi with a timely referral.

A team of paediatric cardiologists, surgeons, anaesthetists, and perfusionists attended the patient and steered him to the path of recovery by carrying out intricate procedures in the cath lab.

The population suffering from cardiac disorders also highlighted the challenges faced by countless people in remote and rural areas where access to medical facilities hinders timely treatment. A spokesman for the SIUT’s Cardiac Unit said many families grapple with the issue of delayed healthcare, diminishing the effectiveness of even the best medical care that is otherwise available. He pointed out that “scarce medical facilities and a lack of awareness cause an increased risk of congenital birth defects.”

SIUT, which provides free health care to the people free of charge and without any discrimination of any cast, colour, or creed, endeavours to strive to make more impact on the lives of those living in the underserved community and ensure a way for a healthier life.

Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023