Guwahati: The Rajkot-based Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation has signed a pact with the Assam government to bear the costs of heart surgeries of 1,000 children and adults of Assam,’s Disadvantaged Sections.
As per the MoU inked between the Assam health department and Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation, Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospitals at Rajkot and Ahmedabad would conduct sophisticated heart surgeries upon 500 children and an equal number of adults belonging to the disadvantaged sections and require treatments within a period of two years.
Sri Sathya Sai Hospitals are run by the Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation, a charitable trust, and are the only hospitals in the country where heart surgeries are conducted entirely free of cost.
Referring to the signing of the MoU as a new beginning in the Government of Assam’s relentless efforts at providing affordable healthcare services to the State’s residents, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his gratitude to the trustees of Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation for extending their services for the benefits of the disadvantaged sections of the society.
Chief Minister Sarma said under the agreement, while the entire cost of surgery and related treatment of patients would be borne by the Rajkot-based charitable trust, the State government would bear the cost of travelling and miscellaneous expenditures of the patients and their attendants.
The Chief Minister said the uniqueness of the agreement signed on Saturday was that the State government shall not be paying a single penny for the medical services, except for the travelling and miscellaneous expenditures.
Assam Minister of Health & Family Welfare Keshab Mahanta, Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court R.M. Chhaya, Justices of Guwahati High Court N Koteswar Singh and Suman Shyam, Principal Secretary (Health) Avinash Joshi and Managing Trustee of Prashanti Medical Services Foundation Manoj Bhimani were also present at the event.