Mumbai: Amid Covid-19 pandemic, Ethiopian infants get a chance at a normal life

Aldora Denekew Wassie with her parents.

The Covid-19 pandemic presented huge challenges to the parents of two Ethiopian kids, who faced the task of getting them to Mumbai for heart surgeries. However, the parents managed to get them here, and the children were operated on early this month and are soon set to go back to their country. While one is a 2-month-old boy, the other is a 5-month-old girl, both born with complex congenital heart defects.

"The children and their parents faced a dual challenge due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the situation in Ethiopia, that made getting an echocardiogram for an accurate diagnosis difficult. However, with the support of the authorities, both children arrived in Mumbai and were admitted here," said Dr Tanuja Karande, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where the children were operated on.

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She said the boy had only one pumping chamber, abnormal orientation of the great vessels from the heart, and a large hole leading to torrential blood flow to the lungs. "In a complex open-heart surgery the great vessels were corrected, adequate mixing of blood in the heart ensured, and flow to the lungs optimised," said Dr Suresh Rao, director, Children's Heart Centre and Consultant, Paediatric and Congenital Heart Surgeon.

Benayas Wuleteab Philipos with his parents

He added that the baby girl had Down's syndrome and a complex cardiac defect. "In this defect, there are three heart valves instead of four, and two holes in the heart," said Dr Rao.

Dr Santosh Shetty, executive director and CEO, said, "It was a herculean task for the parents to get them here and meet Covid-19 protocols of their country and India. But, it was gratifying that we could give these infants a chance at a normal life."