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PHILANTHROPY- CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY |
National Heart Institute’s commitment to the society is being fulfilled by philanthropic work. These activities can be broadly divided as under.
- Free OPD work
- Free inpatients work
- Outreach programmes
- Training Programmes
Free OPD Work
Our Senior Consultant Cardiologists, Cardiac Surgeons and Physicians provide consultation and investigations free of charge 6 days in a week. The total number of patients seen in the free OPD in the last 12 months was 840. The value of services provided in the free OPD is over Rs.7 lacs per year.
Free Inpatients Work
National Heart Institute has reserved 10% beds for the poor patients where every facility available in our hospital (All Lab tests, Radiological procedures, Noninvasive Lab procedures, Cath Lab procedures and all types of Cardiac Surgeries) are provided free of cost to the patient of poor economic status. It is worth mentioning here that the National Heart Institute is the referral centre for treating patients belonging to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) with cardiac ailments by the Government of NCT of Delhi. Such patients are referred to us by the Nodal Officers of Safdarjung and Hindu Rao Hospitals. Seventy seven patients were admitted and treated under these categories in the last one year and the cost of service provided was over Rs.59 lacs.
National Heart Institute is the main centre in India for the “Gift of Life” programme of Rotary International wherein poor children from all over India and adjoining countries like Pakistan, Nepal , Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are brought for surgery of congenital (birth) defects like holes in the heart; blue babies, valve replacement surgeries etc. More than a 100 children have been operated under this programme. Recently two Ugandan children underwent Open Heart Surgeries at National Heart Institute under 'Our Hearts are in Uganda' programme.
Outreach Programmes
We have conducted over 25 free heart check-up camps in Delhi and nearby states of U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand etc. in the last one year and on an average 150 patients were seen and given advice in each of these free heart check-up camps.
Heart Camps are organised in suburban towns and rural areas around Delhi with the help of Rotary and Lions Clubs. In these camps patients are examined and treatment prescribed by a specialist team of 2 or 3 doctors. These camps provide an opportunity for community education using audio-visual aids. Many poor patients have a cardiac check-up for the first time and are able to have proper treatment and surgery if required.
Health Education and Other Activities
National Heart Institute celebrates World Heart Day on 24th September, World Diabetes Day on 14th November, World Health Day on 7th April, World Hypertension Day on 17th May and World No–Tobacco Day on 31st May, every year. In all these functions a large number of individuals from the public are examined by our Consultants, investigations done and advice regarding proper preventive aspects like proper diet, exercise and other lifestyle modifications is given. Exhibition on preventive health care and screening of heath education film is also done.
National Heart Institute caters to outdoor consultation, education and counselling on Diabetes, obesity, cholesterol related diseases, thyroid disorders, alcohol and smoking. Indoor care for Diabetes & Lifestyle disorders is also taken care of.
Pacemaker Bank
Heartbeat International, a voluntary organisation in USA, has set up a pacemaker bank in National Heart Institute in collaboration with the Amroha Rotary club. The organisation has so far donated about 180 pacemakers and 13 I.C.D, out of which 170 pacemakers and 2 I.C.D have been implanted for the benefit of poor patients. Implantation is done at the National Heart Institute, free of cost to all poor and financially impoverished patients.
An artificial cardiac pacemaker is a life saving device. It is implanted in patients with very slow heart rates which interfere with day-to-day living and this transplantation is a common feature at the NHI.
A pacemaker clinic is regularly run at the hospital for check-up of patients with implanted pacemakers and for trouble shooting malfunctioning pacemakers.
