The Chennai-based Dr K.M. Cherian Heart Foundation (KMCHF) has launched a joint venture with the Pushpagiri Medical College in Thiruvalla with a view to provide advanced cardiac care facility to the people of Central Travancore, said Dr K.M. Cherian, renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon.
Dr Cherian who is also the foundation chairman, accompanied by Dr Thomas Pezella, world-renowned cardiac surgeon and founder director of International Children’s Heart Fund; Dr Pankajkumar Srivastava, chief administrator of KMCHF-Pushpagiri Centre and Dr Saji Philip, Pediatric Cardiologist, was addressing a press conference at Pathanamthitta Press Club on Friday.
According to Dr Cherian, the KMCHF-PMC venture was aimed at providing state of the art cardiac care facility at an affordable cost to the people of Central Travancore.
He said the future of India belonged to a knowledge-based society and equal importance should be given to both research and therapy. The joint venture would also focus on research in the field of stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, development of indigenous conduits, etc, besides imparting top-class training to students and make them highly skilled cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and technicians, he said.
Dr Pazella from the Massachusetts Medical School in the US will be camping at the KMCHF Centre at Pushpagiri for the next one week, he said.
Dr Pazella said this was his eighth visit to India to take part in cardiac surgery programmes. He said Kerala with its high health literacy rate stood at par with any developed country in terms of healthcare.
Dr Pezella was of the opinion that doctors, especially cardiologists and surgeons, should help other countries to develop their cardiac programmes and for that reason itself he used to organise cardiac surgery programmes in developed as well as developing countries every year.
Dr Srivastava said the infra-structure facility at KMCHF Centre at Pushpagiri was at par with any international hospital. Dr Saji Philip said the foundation was also planning to organise free cardiac care camps for children with the help of sponsors in the near future.
Chandy to open KMCHP Centre
Dr Cherian said Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, would formally inaugurate the KMCHF-Pushpagiri Centre at a ceremonial function to be held at the PMC campus on Sunday afternoon.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvalla, Thomas Mar Coorilos, will preside over the inaugural function and Fr Abraham Mulamoottil, Chairman of Pushpagiri Group of Institutions, will welcome the gathering.
Philipose Mar Chrysostum, senior Metropoltian of Mar Thoma Church, will deliver the benedictory speech and Dr Cherian will gave away the introductory speech.
Prof P.J. Kurien, Rajya Sabha member; Mathew T. Thomas, MLA; Lynda Thomas, municipal chairperson; Dr Pezella, Dr John Abraham, PMC principal, and Dr Srivastava will also address the function.
