That is the extent of heart diseases in the country. No hospital was prepared to touch him because of the condition of two of his heart valves. And, when we opened up, we were surprised. The patient's name was not disclosed, but both Kshettry and Shetty said the boy is sitting up on a chair for two days now, breathing on his own after the operation and well on the road to recovery. But it is not so here.
Malnourishment is also very high.
Kshettry spends one month of his vacation in developing countries, conducting free operations on behalf of Children's Heartlink. Considering the magnitude of the problem in India or any developing country, I know it is a drop in the ocean. But the point is to create awareness. Kshettry left India 25-years ago. The Manipal Heart Foundation was chosen by Children's Heartlink because of the work it was already doing in the field of children's cardiac problems and for the facilities it has.