Rotary Club Chandigarh Gives Touching Fraewell to 7 Children from Rwanda

By 121 News Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th February:- Rotary Club of Chandigarh gave a touching farewell to the seven children from Rwanda who returned to their home with new lease of life.Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, who initiated the Heartline Project along with District Governor of Rotary District 9150 from Rwanda Jean Runuya, and other members of the Club gave a touching farewell to these seven children at the Rotary House here today.Jean Runuya profusely expressed his country's gratitude to the Rotary Club of Chandigarh and team of doctors under Dr. T.S. Mahant, for saving the lives of these children. It is heartening to see how parents handover their little children to the Rotarians with great hope and expectation, to travel to distant land and await their safe return. Prof. Paramjit Singh, President of the Club informed that one boy and six girls accompanied with Dr. Rutare Samuel and male nurse Heshima Christophe, reached the city on 30^th January this year, suffering from various congenital cardiac disorders, and were operated at the Fortis Hospital Mohali. Heartline Project chairs Sukhjit Singh Gill and Mona Khattar added that children have recovered well and Rotaractors of the club had also taken to the city for an outing last week and entertained them. Rajendra K. Saboo informed that the Club had been able to save 546 lives of the children, which included several children from abroad, since India is at a stage when it can give back to the world its knowledge and expertise. All this had been made possible from the donations by individuals and organizations to support the cost of the surgery which is shared by the Club's partner hospitals, PGIMER and the Fortis Hospital Mohali. Out of the 546 children saved under the project, there had been 30 children from Rwanda, 15 each from Malawi and Nepal, 34 from Pakistan, 7 from Uganda, 5 from Nigeria, two from Afghanistan, and one from Iraq. Dr. T.S. Mahant, Executive Director, CTVS, Fortis Hospital Mohali. who led the team of surgeons, said that the children suffered from serious condition called rheumatic heart disease which often requires repair or replacement of heart valves. Such children can't play, walk or do normal activities due to breathlessness, chest pain, heart palpitations, etc. The valve-replacement surgeries were long and complicated yet successful and we are happy that these children would be able to lead happy and healthy lives.