Lucknow, India, October 22, 2024
The Saloni Heart Foundation has announced the inauguration of the first phase of the Saloni Heart Center (SHC), a world-class children’s heart center in partnership with Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow, India, and the Pediatric Cardiac Centre team at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in California.
Honorable Chief Minister Shri Zyogi Adityanath shall lay the foundation stone.
SHC News Highlights:
Saloni Heart Foundation, USA is saving children’s lives and transforming their futures. Saloni Heart Center (SHC), Excellence in Children's Heart Care, showcased its strong commitment to treating pediatric congenital heart disease in India by bringing world’s leading Children’s Cardiac Healthcare team from Pediatric Heart Center, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, California to perform complex surgeries and train Saloni Heart Center team at SGPGIMS, Lucknow.
The Saloni Heart Center (SHC) aims to address congenital heart disease (CHD), the most frequently diagnosed congenital disorder affecting 240,000 children annually in India, with 95% currently untreated or receiving delayed treatment.
The initial phase of SHC will feature 30 pre- and post-surgery beds, 6 ICU beds, and 1 operating theater within the existing cardiac unit of SGPGIMS, paving the way for a 200-bed super-specialty center.
At full capacity, SHC with 200 beds plans to perform 5,000 life-saving surgeries, manage 10,000 medical cases annually, and train 1,500 medical professionals, making it the world’s largest pediatric cardiac healthcare center.
SHF Training and surgeries have already commenced at SGPGIMS on February 5th with a team from the USA initiating training sessions and successfully completing 9 CHD surgeries during the first training week.
"Saloni Heart Foundation & SGPGIMS partnership today signifies a beacon of hope for thousands of parents in India grappling with the challenges of their children’s heart care. We are committed to helping parents going through this and want them to know they are not alone anymore and have a place to help their children get world class treatment”
- Milli Seth (President & Founder)
Saloni Heart Foundation Commitment
The Saloni Heart Foundation, founded in memory of Saloni who battled CHD, is dedicated to transforming children's heart healthcare in India. Saloni was Born in Delhi in 2005, with CHD and underwent a series of medical procedures, including five open-heart surgeries, multiple cardiac catheterizations, and numerous hospitalizations. Despite her unwavering resilience, she succumbed to a massive stroke in 2018.
Throughout that journey, the relationships and partnerships built with leading medical institutions SHF is now able to help provide world-class treatment and support to other families facing pediatric heart conditions.
Prof. Anita Saxena, a world renowned pediatric cardiologist, Vice Chancellor of Pt. BD Sharma University of Health Sciences and former Dean & HOD, Cardiology at AIIMS, emphasizes the significant impact of CHD in India and the urgent need for intervention to save young lives and support parents in search of answers.
Watch Full Interview HERE.
Saloni Heart Foundation’s vision is that every child with complex heart conditions should have access to the world’s leading heart specialists. The foundation's initiatives focus on patient consultation, doctor training, and medical education to ensure every child with complex heart conditions receives the best care possible.
Patient Consultation: Provide free unbiased consultation from the world's Top doctors to families of children with complex heart condition.
Doctor Training: Enable doctors from India to learn skills from the world's best pediatric cardio-thoracic surgeons and cardiologists so that children living in India can get the best care.
Medical Education: Provide scholarships to deserving scholars from economically weaker sections in India, for education in the field of medicine & science.
Since inception SHF has secured $30M in Cash & Kind donation, trained over 100 medical professionals, completed over 5,000 medical second opinions and completed 70+ Congenital Heart Surgeries.
About Saloni Heart Foundation:
Saloni Heart Foundation's commitment includes investing Rs 500 Crores to establish SHC, collaborating with SGPGIMS and Children’s Heart Center team at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital to offer advanced care, training, and research opportunities in pediatric cardiac healthcare.
Saloni Heart Foundation is a non-profit organization funded by donor contributions, offering free services to families in need of pediatric cardiac care.
SHF has launched the first phase of a world class center for pediatric cardiac health care in Lucknow, India which will become Saloni Heart Center. Providing 5,000 life saving surgeries, managing 10,000 medical cases a year to help save children’s lives with CHD not just in Uttar Pradesh, but the entire world.
SHC will offer specialized training and skills development through the cross-pollination of expertise besides opportunity for break through research in CHD due their partnerships and commitment from Mukesh Aghi, Gaurav Verma and Chitra Gupta of USISPF , Dr V K Paul at NITI Aayog, Dr Krishna Kumar HOD, Pediatric Cardiology, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, Dr Anita Saxena, Vice Chancellor, Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences, Haryana (Former Dean and HOD Cardiology, AIIMS, Delhi), Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Children’s Heart Link and Genesis Foundation.
Join us on this journey of hope and healing at saloniheartfoundation.org.