Tirupati: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the Sri Padmavathi Paediatric Cardiac Hospital – the first of its kind exclusive children’s heart hospital in the state – housed on the Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research, and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD) ortho hospital premises in Tirupati on Monday.
Earlier, the Chief Minister, on his arrival at the Tirupati International Airport, was accorded a warm welcome by a battery of ministers, MPs, MLAs and officials. Reddy commenced his two-day visit to the temple city with the inauguration of the state-of-the-art children’s cardiac hospital.
The 50-bedded hospital was initially housed on the first floor of the old OPD block of the BIRRD hospital on a temporary basis to serve paediatric patients with heart related problems. It has three modern operation theatres and several wings including OP, radiology, pre-ICU, post-ICU, general ward, and administrative blocks. The total expenditure on civil, electrical, medical equipment including Cath lab, heart-lung machine, cardiography system machines etc. is Rs 25 crore.
It may be noted that prior to the division of Andhra Pradesh state, Hyderabad was the centre for critical medical care and almost all the sensitive and critical care like cardiac surgeries and transplantation of hearts used to happen there. After the division of the state, the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh had to establish its own infrastructure in almost all fields including medical.
In this process, the state observed the statistics of serious cardiac problems. Much to its shock, it was revealed that there are more than 10,000 children suffering from serious cardiac problems in the state and every year the number of such cases is found to be increasing, specifically the cardio thoracic problems, which require high end medical intervention by super specialty doctors.
“There was no critical care hospital to treat children with cardiac problems in the entire state, either in the private or in the government sector. Against this backdrop, acting on the directions of the Chief Minister, the TTD embarked upon establishing the paediatric cardiac hospital in Tirupati. We hope this cardiac hospital will pioneer in the field of cardio thoracic surgeries and serve the ailing paediatric patients in the entire state,” an official observed.
The Chief Minister later inaugurated the Sri Venkateswara Sapta Gau Pradakshina Mandiram at Alipiri Padala Mandapam. Prioritising “Gau Samrakshana” as a significant seva of rededication to Lord Balaji and to take the importance of Gomata in a widespread manner, the TTD set up the Sapta Go Pradakshina Mandiram at a cost of Rs 15 crore, which was donated by a Chennai-based devotee A.J. Sekhar Reddy to facilitate devotees with ‘Gau’ puja.
Reddy also inaugurated the renewed Alipiri footpath. Since the shelters of this footpath, which was constructed about 40 years ago, became dilapidated, the TTD renovated the roof slabs to provide hassle-free trekking to pedestrian pilgrims. At this juncture, Reliance Industries Limited came forward to provide new shelters all along the footpath on a donation basis at a cost of Rs 25 crore and completed the work within a year.
Deputy Chief Minister K. Narayana Swamy, ministers Srinivasa Rao, Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, M. Gautam Reddy, MPs M. Gurumurthy, P.V. Mithun Reddy, V. Prabhakar Reddy, MLA B. Karunakar Reddy, TTD chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, additional EO A.V. Dharma Reddy and others participated in the inaugural events.
