CM Jagan to open TTD heartcare centre today

Tirupati: The first children's heart centre in the State established by the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) at the abode of Lord Venkateswara is going to be inaugurated by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday. It will become another prestigious hospital in the pilgrim city.

TTD has spent about Rs 25 crore for the facilities, machinery and equipment in the hospital named as 'Sri Padmavathi Children's Heart Centre' housed at the old block of Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD) hospital complex on a temporary basis.

TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy went around the ICU, OP wing, operation theatres and reception wing at the new hospital on Sunday ahead of CM's visit. He said that it will have 50 beds initially which will be increased to 100 soon. After bifurcation of the State, it would be the first paediatric heart centre in the residual state of AP and will have the state-of-the- art operation theatres and ICU facilities.

It may be recalled that the TTD has allotted six acres of land for the construction of a new paediatric super speciality hospital to provide all paediatric services. It was earlier planned to break the ground for the new hospital by the CM along with the inauguration of the heart centre but was deferred due to some pending works. Once the new hospital is completed, it may become an advanced centre to provide holistic medicare for children.

Meanwhile, the TTD has already invited paediatric cardiothoracic surgeons and child specialists from all the children's hospitals across the country to render voluntary service at the new centre. It has specified that doctors professing Hindu religion with 15 years of experience may extend their services and perform heart surgeries and other procedures to the new born infants.