Heart Care Foundation of India to Support Free Heart Care Interventions

 Institutes Heart Care Foundation Fund to provide financial and technical assistance to heart patients from economically weaker sections of the society

New Delhi, March 20, 2014 - Heart Care Foundation of India, a national not-for-profit organization committed to raising awareness and providing effective solutions for impending health issues in the country, today announced the opening of applications for the ‘Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund’. A special project instituted under the umbrella of the Heart Care Foundation Fund, the initiative will aim at providing financial assistance to 365 heart patients belonging to economically weaker sections of the society in a period of one year.

Research indicates that in the National Capital of India itself, 19 patients die directly due to heart disease every day. Several of these heart conditions are curable and death is preventable. However not everyone can afford the treatment and hospital costs. A good example of this is the fact that currently in the country 15,000 pacemakers are fitted every year, whereas the current need is over 60,000.  

A one-of-its-kind initiative, the Heart Care Foundation Fund has been instituted to bridge this disparity and provide individuals the ability to live a healthy and disease-free life. The fund will be available to patients suffering from non-emergent planned heart conditions for a maximum amount of Rs 1 lakh per person as one time grant.

Addressing a press conference here, Padma Shri, Dr BC Roy National & DST National Science Communication Awardee, and the President of Heart Care Foundation of India, Dr KK Aggarwal, said, “We at Heart Care Foundation of India are committed to providing assistance and effective solutions to the growing medical problems in the country. As a part of this endeavor, we have launched the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund. Through this initiative, we hope to assist at least 365 people each year, who otherwise would not have been able to afford treatment. We are extremely thankful to Mr. Raghuvinder Kataria, Chief  Patron of the fund and without whose support this would not have been possible.”

All the applications to the fund will be assessed by an expert committee comprising of notable individuals chosen on merit basis. Once shortlisted, the funds will then be directly deposited in the bank account of the medical establishments treating the patient.

Speaking at the occasion, Padma Shri Awardee and renowned poet, Dr Ashok Chakradhar said, "In the fast paced and stressful world we live in today, heart disease is increasingly becoming a universal problem.
I strongly believe that every person has the right to get treatment irrespective of their economical status and I am happy that the Heart Care Foundation Fund has been instituted in this direction.”

 

Adding to this, Dr Vijay Trehan, Professor of Cardiology at GB Pant Hospital, said, "With the increasing disparity of the rich and the poor and growing number of heart patients, NGOs can play a critical role in reducing the cardiac deaths in India. I congratulate Heart Care Foundation of India and hope that with this noble initiative they can help more and more heart patients from the economically backward sections of the society.”

The fund will be available for use from April 1, 2014 and will provide financial assistance for stents, bypass surgery, valves, pacemakers or surgery for congenital heart disease. In order to be eligible to apply for the fund, patients can call on the fund helpline number 9958771177, which is open from March 20, 2014, Monday through Saturday from 9-5 PM.

Others present at the launch were Mrs Sumi Malik, Mr Harish Malik, Mr Deep Malik, Naina Aggarwal, Nilesh Aggarwal and Ms Aarti Upadhyay, all Governing and Executive Council Members of the fund.

 About Heart Care Foundation of India

Heart Care Foundation of India is a National NGO working in the field of creating health awareness for people from all walks of life about all aspects of health incorporating all pathies under one roof using low- cost infotainment modules.