Mr. M. R. K. Paneerselvam, Hon’ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu today felicitated the beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Kappittu Thittam scheme at Dr. K. M. Cherian’s Frontier Lifeline Hospital. Dr. S. Prakash, Director, Star Health also met the beneficiaries on the occasion. Frontier Lifeline recently signed up with the Tamil Nadu Government’s Kalaignar Star Health Insurance Scheme (Kalaignar Uyir Kakkum Uyar Sigichaikkanna Kappittuthittam). Under this scheme, life saving cardiac treatment to the underprivileged is accorded at premier private hospitals.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. K. M. Cherian, Chairman & CEO, Frontier Lifeline & Dr. K. M. Cherian Heart Foundation said, “Frontier Lifeline is privileged to be the part of the Government of Tamil Nadu’s Kalaignar Kappittu Thittam scheme. Since December 2007, we have successfully performed 49 coronary artery bypass surgeries, 31 valve replacements, 1 heart transplantation, 23 interventional procedures, and 68 open and closed heart procedures including complex cases such as arterial switch operations and total anomalous pulmonary venous repair. About 171 patients have benefited from the scheme so far.”
Frontier Lifeline has been providing treatments successfully ever since its association with the KKT Scheme. A large number of patients, especially children who have had complex congenital heart disease (between one month and 15 years of age) have been operated for complex procedures such as arterial switch, single ventricle repair, AV canal, tetrology, pulmonary atresia etc. Some of these procedures required the use of indigenously prepared biological valves, conduits and membranes. These biological cardiac valve substitutes have been prepared by Frontier Lifeline’s Tissue Laboratory, functioning from TICEL Bio Park (Tamil Nadu Biotechnology Park). This is the only centre in Asia and probably the second in the world, next to Berlin, which has the capacity to produce its own valves.
In order to help the poor and needy children under the KKT and ISIPT schemes, use of these products has made Tamil Nadu the first state in the country to use this technology. The upcoming Frontier Mediville at Elavur village will have a state-of-the-art facility for producing these valves which in addition to benefiting patients, will also save foreign exchange and create jobs in rural areas.
ABOUT ILLAM SIRAR IRUDAYA ARRUVAI SIKKITCHAI THITTAM SCHEME
Due to the awareness of cardiac problems, more cardiac patients are identified with heart diseases at Government hospitals especially in early childhood and as such there is a long waiting list of patients who require cardiac surgery in Government hospitals. A novel scheme was initiated by the Government of Tamil Nadu which has been extending financial assistance to poor and distressed individuals requiring medical assistance.
Therefore, the Government has decided to refer some of these poor cardiac patients, less than 12 years of age and residing in Tamil Nadu, and whose parent / guardian income is less than Rs.50,000/- per year, to private hospitals which are certified by a medical team formed by the Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, Chennai.
