spot_img
28.6 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

A hundred Filipino children get second chance at life thanks to Apollo Hospitals

- Advertisement -

One hundred lives and counting— that’s how many children from the Philippines who now have an opportunity to lead a second lease on life after Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi has reached the landmark of performing 100 liver transplants in children from the Philippines. 

Around 55 kids and their families whom Indraprastha Apollo Hospital successfully performed liver operations on, troop to the stage to take a group photo. Peter Paul Duran

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the leading super-specialty tertiary care hospital based in New Delhi, India, transplanted 53 children in the last 2 years,  with the youngest child to be operated on was at only 4 months old. 

To date, 44 girls and 56 boys from the Philippines between the ages of four months and 15 years have undergone a liver transplant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

“Apollo Hospitals leads the way in delivering cross-border care for children. Our approach is aligned with Apollo’s overarching objective of providing prompt delivery of healthcare services, notwithstanding myriad constraints. This becomes even more important when it comes to caring for children. We believe there is no greater joy than seeing the smiles of children who have been saved by our timely medical intervention,” said Mr. P Shivakumar, Managing Director – Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

Ambassador of India to the Philippines Shambhu S. Kumaran (second from L) with Dr. Anupam Sibal (third from L). Peter Paul Duran

Apollo made sure that children and their families were provided end-to-end assistance in terms of aligning travel permissions while also ascertaining patient safety by arranging special charter flights with a medical team on board to manage any emergencies during the height of the pandemic. 

- Advertisement -

According to Group Medical Director and Senior Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Dr (Prof) Anupam Sibal, Apollo Hospitals has been receiving children with liver failure from the Philippines for the last five years. 

“We would like to thank families for their trust as we mark the landmark of 100 liver transplants in babies and children from the Philippines,” said Dr. Sibal during a momentous event attended by more than 50 families of the kids at Hilton Manila in Pasay recently.

Group Medical Director and Senior Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Dr (Prof) Anupam Sibal of Apollo Hospitals with one of the kids. Peter Paul Duran

“Our initiative has been facilitated by the immense support from the Embassies, which helped ease travel formalities for patients. The Apollo Liver Transplant Program, the first successful program in India which was established in 1998 has now performed more than 3950 liver transplants including 458 in children from 20 countries,” he added. 

Ambassador of India to the Philippines Shambhu S. Kumaran also graced the event, while his counterpart, Philippine Ambassador to India Ramon Bagasting, Jr., joined virtually via a video speech.

“We are all partners in this noble journey and I’m very delighted to confirm to you that the Indian Embassy here will continue to support in all possible ways this process. I want to assure all of you that India and the Philippines will remain deeply committed to building a relationship that benefits our people. (100) is a major milestone. So congratulations Apollo, on a hundred!” said Kumaran. 

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles