KARACHI, Oct 4: About 120,000 children are born with congenital heart disease in the country each year and almost 90 per cent of these kids either die or are diagnosed so late that even surgery is ineffectual.

Dr Muneer Amanullah, a paediatric cardiac surgeon at Aga Khan University Hospital addressing a session here on Wednesday further observed that many parents of children with congenital heart disease are therefore forced to travel abroad for corrective surgery.

He mentioned that AKUH responding to the need for proper diagnosis and surgical management of heart diseases in children, has initiated a paediatric cardiac surgery programme in collaboration with international institutions.—APP/PPI