By successfully implanting a Micra leadless pacemaker in a 33-year-old woman with tetralogy of Fallot, a complex congenital heart disease (obstruction in the pulmonary valve leading from the right ventricle to the lung artery preventing the normal amount of blood from being pumped to the lungs), Medica Superspecialty Hospital, part of the Manipal Hospitals group, accomplished a remarkable medical feat in an extremely rare case. Due to their extremely low income, the patient, RM (name changed), from Barrackpore, and her family were unable to afford this type of surgery. Thus, a tale of medical innovation, collaboration, and the strength of community support was unfolded by a few kindhearted members of the public and, most importantly, the Manipal Foundation, the charitable and social arm of the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG).

The procedure was led by Dr. Dilip Kumar, Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab & Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist & Electrophysiologist, Medica Superspecialty Hospital (a part of Manipal Hospitals Group), Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi, Head – Paediatric Cardiology & Senior Interventional Cardiologist; and Dr. Somnath Dey, Cardiac Anaesthesiologist. They were joined by Dr. Prakash Kumar Hazra, Director and Head Cardiology Specialist, Manipal Hospital Dhakuria, during a briefing session with the patient.

The procedure’s success demonstrates the state-of-the-art cardiac care that the hospital offers and the value of financial assistance programs in ensuring that individuals in need of life-saving treatments can access them.

This instance demonstrates the life-changing potential of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. They were able to give this young mother a second chance at life by pooling resources and combining the kindness of donors. These kinds of incidents serve to further our goal of closing the healthcare access gap and giving families in need hope.

Manipal Hospitals and the Manipal Foundation have demonstrated as responsible carers that humanity comes first, and they hope to set many more examples in the future. The patient’s life was saved thanks in large part to the Manipal Foundation’s intervention, which also made this ground-breaking procedure accessible. In addition to demonstrating how community-driven initiatives can transform lives, this case will serve as an example of the significance of cutting-edge medical interventions.

Priyanka Dutta