Seven year old Abhijot, the 800th
patient from Fatehgarh Sahib gets lease of life under Rotary's Heartline
Project
Chandigarh, 7 May 2026: The Rotary Club of Chandigarh announced the
successful completion of the 800th heart surgery under its flagship Rotary
Heartline Project, in partnership with Fortis Hospital, Mohali.
The milestone surgery was
performed on a 7-year-old boy Abhijot of
Behlan Khanpur of Fatehgarh Sahib district, after successful heart surgery by Dr Rajat Gupta of Fortis Hospital on
26th March.
Son of a daily wager, Abhijot suffered from hole in the heart
and was referred by Rotary Club of Kharar
to the Heartline team of Rotary Club of Chandigarh.
Abha Joshi Sharma, President of the Club informed that Rotary Club
of Chandigarh has not only saved the lives of the children from India, and as
many as 800 children have received a new lease of life under the expert hands
of Indian doctors, including from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, African
continent, Nepal, Mangolia, and many other countries.
We are extremely thankful to Ashish
Bhatia, Executive Vice President, Fortis Healthcare, Dr. T.S. Mahant, Director CTVS, and Dr. Abhijeet Singh, SBU Head, Fortis Hospital Mohali for the
wonderful support for Project Heartline.
Dr. T.S. Mahant, Director Cardiac Surgery, Fortis
Hospital Mohali, added, “Partnering with
Rotary Club of Chandigarh for
Heartline has been one of our most fulfilling programs. The clinical team is
proud to combine surgical excellence with Rotary’s spirit of compassion.
Together, we are not just mending hearts, we are healing families.”
The credit for conceiving
the project goes to former world President Rotary International, Rajendra K Saboo and his wife Usha Saboo.
Eight-hundred might be a
milestone, said Usha Saboo, but for us it is the celebration of life, and
occasion to express our gratitude to the team of doctors and nurses who have
made us the instrument to save the lives of 800 children who can now continue
to lead a normal life and thrive.
Launched in 1999 as a
Gift of Life project with the support of PGIMER, to benefit only about 40 children
initially, but looking at the large number of economically-challenged children
suffering from congenital cardiac diseases, the Club decided that "no
child should die for want of money."
However, after completing
100 surgeries, the Club rechristened the programme as Rotary Heartline Project and
in 2005-06, signed up with Fortis Hospital Mohali primarily to save the lives
of infants who required cardiac intervention.
The Club felicitated the
team of doctors and nursing staff from Fortis Hospital for their commitment to the
project and saving little lives, and gave the gifts to the child.
The Rotary Heartline
Project is funded through members contributions, philanthropists, and global
grants from The Rotary Foundation.
Current Project Chair
Rtn. Ms. Vijay Wadhawan who
co-ordinates with parents, hospital, and the donors informed that each surgery
costs approximately Rs.1.5–3.7
lakh, provided at no cost to the beneficiary family though at times some of the
sponsoring clubs or local philanthropists also provide financial help, which
goes into the kitty of the Heartline project so that the benefit to more and
more such children can be extended.
Chartered on 10th May 1958,
the Rotary Club is one of India’s most active clubs which established a Rs.4
crore blood bank, a Rotary Vocational Training Centre, a number of Balwaris in
slums, a Human Milk Bank in Mohali, and the most photographed Rotary Peace
monument on the Sukhna Lake, besides numerous literacy, environment protection
and organ donation projects, said Rotary 3080 District Governor Ravi Prakash, who was present on the occasion.
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