The Leicestershire charity Healing Little Hearts sends volunteer medical teams to India every four to six weeks.
Each team comprises between six and eight doctors and nurses who operate on babies and young children born with heart defects.
It was founded by Dr Sanjiv Nichani, pictured, a consultant paediatrician at Leicester’s hospitals seven years ago. “We have gone from strength to strength over the years. We now operate in six hospitals in India and by the end of last year we had completed 525 life saving operations.”
Dr Nichani set up the charity to help some of the 60,000 children born in India with heart problems and who do not have access to medical care.
Children’s heart specialists from across Britain volunteer to join the regular trips.
Healing Little Hearts pays for flights and accommodation is usually provided by the hospitals volunteers visit.
Each trip costs about £5,000 and lasts about two weeks in which time the visiting team operates on between 10 and 15 children.
Dr Nichani said: “We are now looking to send intensive care unit specialists to centres where there is a surgeon but not the intensive care unit expertise. We are also considering going to other parts of the world, one possibility is Africa where we can particularly help in teaching in intensive care.”
Healing Little Hearts is hosting the Give with Love back tie ball on Saturday, February 14. It will be held at the Platinum Suite, Cobden Street and will include a three course meal, provided by Sanjay Foods, and complimentary wine on each table.
