SACHi Chennai

About SACHi Chennai

It is estimated that over 2,00,000 children are born with heart diseases every year and less than 5% of them receive the care that they need. Most of these children succumb to their disease before their first birthdays. In fact,studies conducted by AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) reveal that 10% of infant mortality can be accounted for by Congenital Heart Diseases alone…

The Saving A Child’s Heart initiative (SACHi) was established in 2003 and is one of Asia’s largest voluntary organizations dedicated to raising awareness about cardiac disease and providing early treatment and financial support to children with heart disease from economically weak sections of society. Treatments include surgical intervention, diagnostic procedures and follow-up care. The entire SACHi team, including the specialists, nursing staff and paramedical staff, volunteers its services.

To date, SACHi has screened over 2,00,000 children across India and performed 3,000 heart surgeries. As the initiative grows, the future will see many more children growing into adults leading healthy, happy, rewarding lives.

What we do

Free Screening and Diagnosis A team of doctors and paramedical staff conduct free cardiac screening camps for children up to the age of 16 in cities, towns and villages across India.

Awareness Building Building awareness is the key to educating society on children’s heart diseases. SACHi works to build awareness at two levels:

To the less educated or illiterate, economically weak sections where lack of awareness, facilities and funds often means the children do not receive the treatment that they need.

To the policy-makers, corporate organisations, well-placed individuals and media to highlight the magnitude of the problem and seek their support.

Treatment & Surgery Children requiring immediate treatment are placed at the head of SACHi’s list for treatment and / or surgery based on the medical camp findings. Urgency and long-term prognosis factor in on the generated list and SACHi does not limit its efforts only to those who have been diagnosed at the camps. Children from economically backward sections who are brought to Apollo Hospitals are also considered for free treatment..

Follow-up care Continued monitoring of treatment and post-operative care is important in evaluating the child’s progress. SACHi schedules appointments for follow-up checks and ensures that the families keep track of their children’s appointments. To further facilitate this, SACHi has also established a telemedicine system that enables the team at Apollo to touch base with doctors in the district hospitals and oversee their young patients’ follow-up care. This has the added benefit of keeping the district doctors abreast with the latest developments and treatments in heart disease.

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The SACHi Team - Chennai

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SACHi offers world-class super speciality care to children at the Apollo Children’s Hospital, a child-friendly facility under the able guidance of our beloved chairman, Dr. Prathap. C. Reddy, our M.D., Mrs. Preetha Reddy and our V. P., Ms. Sindoori Reddy. The SACHi Chennai team comprises a cardiothoracic team, a cardiology team, cardiac anaesthetists, a paediatric critical care group, a paediatric perfusion team and specialised paediatric cardiac nurses and technicians.

Members of the team include:

Dr. Neville Solomon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, who has performed over 2,000 surgeries with a success rate of 98%. He has been associated with SACHi since its inception and also oversees a foundation that has been named after his father, the Alfred Solomon Heart Foundation, where he has helped more than 50 dying children.

Dr. C. S. Muthukumaran, Head of Cardiology and Chief Interventional Cardiologist, is among the few experts in the Pinhole technique in the country and has saved nearly 500 children since he joined the Apollo Children’s Hospital in 2008.

Dr. Prasad Manne, Preventive Cardiologist has been trained extensively in the UK on imaging of the heart. An expert in foetal cardiology, he can diagnose heart problems as early as the 18th week of gestation.

Dr Shapna Varma, our exclusive Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthetist.

Dr Suchitra Ranjit, one of the country’s renowned Paediatric Critical Care Specialists, who is responsible for post-operative care.

Mr.Sundarajan and Mr. Senthil, our Paediatric Perfusion Technologists.

An example of the team’s achievement

Dr. C. S. Muthukumaran conducted a screening camp at Uganda. There he identified a seven year old child with a hole in the heart and high lung pressure, which is a serious heart problem. He told the father that if the child did not have surgery, he would soon become inoperable. A month later, the father landed at the Apollo Children’s Hospital. Having sold all his property, he could only afford the tickets to come to Chennai. Moved by the father’s commitment to his child, the SACHi team raised the funds for the surgery and Dr. Neville Solomon successfully operated on him.Today, the little boy has a normal heart and has vowed to become a doctor to help children in Uganda.

Apollo Children’s Hospitals

  • 80-bed facility offering specialised child healthcare
  • Provides the finest quaternary-level paediatric care in the country
  • Child friendly ambience
  • 10 consultation suites
  • Full-time specialist system
  • Comprehensive Care Team comprising highly skilled and dedicated medical, surgical and support staff
  • Comfortable wards and patient rooms
  • Centralised laboratory services
  • Imaging and diagnostic facilities with modern digital radiology suite and CT scanner
  • World-class operating rooms, with a dedicated facillity for complex cardiac procedures
  • Paediatric ICU with the most sophisticated infrastructure in the country
  • 14 bed neonatology care units with 1:1 nurse-patient ratio
  • Cardiac intensive care with special equipment for neonates
  • 6-bed High Dependency Unit with isolation facility
  • 2 dedicated transplant rooms with HEPA filter
  • Computerized tracking system, charting and discharge instructions to enhance patient safety and privacy
  • 24 hour 8-bedded paediatric emergency department geared to manage acute conditions within the “golden hour”
  • Specialised paediatric ambulance equipped with transport incubator
  • Support amenities include 24-hour pharmacy, cafeteria and play area

Our Support

Government Funding Through the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.

  • NGOs
  • Corporates
  • Chairman and AHEL family members

We owe our gratitude to the following sponsors from the Corporate and NGOs side :

  • The Sun Foundation
  • M/s Madras Cements
  • The Shirdi Sai Trust
  • C.V.Venugopal Educational and Charitable Trust
  • The Apollo Pharmacy
  • The Ladies Circle 100
  • The Madras Sterling Ladies Club 63
  • The Madras Mylapore Ladies Club 4
  • The Madras Metro Ladies Circle 2
  • C.A.V Road Lines
  • Deepa Medicals
  • Murugappa Chettiar Trust
  • Deepa Vaccine Centre
  • Shalimar Agencies
  • Red Phoenix Consultancy
  • Rotary International District 3202
  • Madras Esplanade Round Table 30
  • Aircel Cellular
  • Reddy Oil and Gas Corporation
  • Madhuram Narayanan Foundation
  • Shamdasani Foundation Charitable Trust
  • Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals
  • Centuary Processing Mills Pvt Ltd
  • Bharani Pattu Centre
  • ZAH Medicals
  • Saravana Chem and Dyes
  • Subash Trading Company
  • EN-Treat Systems
  • Rajaa Sales Corporation
  • Sri Venkateswara Colors
  • Trimax Textile Chemicals
  • Faber Sindoori Management Services
  • Kannan Departmental Stores
  • City Union Bank Ltd.
  • Dalmia Manav Seva Trust
  • Meco tronics
  • Parimalam and Company
  • GVK Airport Foundation
  • Larsen and Toubro ltd
  • Shree Vijayalakshmi Charitable Trust
  • SSM Textiles
  • K.P Veerappa Mudaliar and Sons
  • Parimalam Tyre Company
  • Sri Chendur Medicals
  • Banu Radha Textiles
  • Ramraj Cottons
  • SKM Animal Fields and Foods Ltd
  • GMR Infrastructure Ltd
  • Trimax Textile Chemicals
  • Lions Club-International District Charitable Trust
  • Bharani Velli Maligai