CSR initiative aid 100 underprivileged children with congenital heart disease

HDFC ERGO General Insurance, India’s leading non-life insurance company, and Genesis Foundation, a leading NGO that facilitates the medical treatment of underprivileged children born with a congenital heart defect, reached a significant milestone of supporting 100 lesser privileged children across the country. Of the 100 children supported, the partnership has given special attention to 31 critical cases, where immediate attention was required to ensure that these little hearts continued beating.

Since 2018, HDFC ERGO General Insurance and Genesis Foundation have been supporting pediatric cardiac interventions across the country, including for children living in tribal areas, offering healing, hope and a chance of a brighter future.

For instance, amid the COVID pandemic, 3-month-old Nikhil (alias name) was diagnosed with a complex defect – Transposition of Great Arteries with VSD and Pulmonary Stenosis. The child needed to be treated immediately but unfortunately tested COVID positive and the family was quarantined for 2 weeks. Despite the hurdles, Genesis Foundation maintained regular contact and post-quarantine, Nikhil underwent a successful 6-hour open-heart surgery in Coimbatore. In another story, 11-year-old Shalu (alias name), hailing from Bihar, could barely take 10 steps due to her heart defect. With support from the partnership, she was treated for her defect and now, she not only walks and climbs stairs effortlessly but is back in school, enabling her parents to focus on their other three children.

Countless stories like Nikhil and Shalu illustrate how collaborative efforts between corporate partners and the trust have given children a chance at life and the pursuit of their dreams.

Commenting on this, Parthanil Ghosh, President-Retail Business, HDFC ERGO General Insurance said, “Every year, over 2 lakh children are born with congenital heart defects and approximately one-fifth of them require immediate medical intervention. At HDFC ERGO, we are honoured to join hands with Genesis Foundation, offering a second chance at life for little hearts battling congenital heart diseases. While we wish every child to be healthy and hale, we take pride in supporting those affected by congenital heart ailments and reaching the milestone of 100 surgeries, as part of our commitment to making a positive impact on lives.”

 Simran Sagar Singh, Operations Director, Genesis Foundation said, “Congenital Heart Defects are the most common birth defects in India. With timely diagnosis and treatment, most children can live near-normal lives. However, only 25% of the children born with this defect are able to access treatment. We have been working to make pediatric cardiac cardiac care services available to families who do not have the financial means to afford the same.  We are immensely grateful to our long-standing CSR partner HDFC ERGO General Insurance, who stood by us during these last five years helping us move closer to our mission to Save Little Hearts. Their support has not only helped us save many lives across the country but also instilled hope and faith in families who face the daunting challenges of dealing with a child whose heart is not normal. As the Foundation celebrates this milestone, the focus remains on scaling up efforts to reach every child in need, irrespective of the circumstances.”

In FY 2022-23 taking this partnership a step further, HDFC ERGO General Insurance and Genesis Foundation collaboratively conducted congenital heart defect screening camps to proactively reach children in remote areas, including Faridkot, Bathinda and Ramanathapuram, where access to specialised healthcare remains a challenge.  Hundreds of children were screened across all the camps and the ones identified for support are being treated with the support of HDFC ERGO, Genesis Foundation and their partner hospitals.

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