Thiruvananthapuram | The State health department's 'Hridyam' scheme to check child mortality due to heart-related issues has so far had 5,805 children have heart surgeries. This year alone 354 n 354 children have received treatment free of cost. Of them, 109 are children below the age of one year.

Of the 17,256 children registered under the scheme, 10,818 are under the age of one year. This year alone, there have 1,661 registrations and of the 112 cases registered this month, 60 children will undergo surgery very soon.

As part of the scheme launched to ensure specialised treatment , all babies born in government hospitals undergo examination. Diagnosis is undertaken with the consultation of paediatricians in cases where children have congenital heart disease symptoms.

Children with heart disease symptoms are identified and treated through screening by health workers during home visits, Screening is also done in anganwadis and schools. After diagnosis, a list on the basis of severity is readied to ensure emergency surgery in some cases. A total 3,59,790 children, including 1,81,943 boys in the age group of six weeks to three years have been screened under the RBSK scheme. As many as 2,24,211 children in the age group of three to six years and 10,52,136 in the age group of six to 18 years were tested.

In cases where surgery could not be performed in government hospitals owing to lack of facilities, the child is taken with ventilator support to an empanelled private hospital. Eight government and a few private hospitals have been empanelled under the project. Kottayam and Kozhikode Government Medical Colleges, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Aster Medicity and Lissie Hospital in Kochi, Tiruvalla Believers Church Medical College, Kozhikode Aster and Thiruvananthapuram Sree Avittom Tirunal Hospital are among these hospitals.