Dr. Devananda N S and Dr. Francisco Colaco along with the little wonders of Goa at the 'Little Wonders of Goa' - a congenital Heart Diseases awareness programme.
Manipal Hospital Goa, one of India’s leading healthcare groups, conducted a health awareness program on Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) that affects young children and new born babies. The day long awareness program titled ‘The Little Wonders of Goa’ was conducted with children along their parents who had successfully overcome this disease and are moving ahead in their lives as normal, healthy and energetic kids. Dr. Devananda NS – MS, Mch, HOD & Consultant, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Manipal Hospitals Bangalore who operated on these children at Manipal Hospital Bangalore was present along with other pediatric doctors of Manipal Hospitals Goa. Dr. Devananda has been visiting Goa, consulting and treating children suffering with CHD for the past 5 years and has also helped them to successfully overcome it.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Devananda stated that, “In case of such diseases once detected, the parents are requested not to panic and consult the cardiologist immediately and understand the necessary steps and precautions. Sometimes, CHD may not require surgery but if the case is critical, the patient may require surgery and medication. Even though surgery is conducted on very young children, there are no further complications, and the patient can live a healthy, normal life. Learning about the disease and being aware of the symptoms helps in managing such situations more effectively.”
’The Little Wonders of Goa’ was conducted with an aim to create awareness amongst the general public about CHD, its treatment and clear all misconceptions about it. This awareness program was an open forum for the parents of the ’little wonders’ and media and gave an excellent opportunity to interact with each other and share their experiences as well as with the others present there. Around 45 children who suffered from different health complexities attended this awareness program with their parents.
Congenital Heart Disease is a problem with the structure of the heart at the time of birth and affects one out of 100 live births. Congenital heart defects may occur during the development of the heart shortly after conception and can involve the walls of the heart, the valves of the heart and the arteries and veins near the heart. Congenital heart defects may result in disrupting the normal flow of blood through the heart and the blood flow may slow down, flow in the wrong direction and get blocked completely.
Dr. Devananda has operated over 7000 successful cases and has been consulting children in Goa for the past 5 years.