Three children from Zimbabwe have been successfully operated under the Rotary Club of Chandigarh’s Heartline project. There is another batch of six girls, including four teenagers, who also arrived from Rwanda under the programme to undergo life-saving heart surgery in a hospital in Mohali.
 Rajendra K Saboo, former Rotary International president, and Abhijit Singh, facility director, together welcomed the children, along with the team of heart surgeons led by Dr T S Mahant, executive director, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery
 Saboo said, “Rotary Club of Chandigarh initiated the project of free-heart surgeries in 1999. Let no child suffering from any congenital cardiac disease die for want of money,” was the commitment that the Rotary Club had made in 1999. It was initiated as ‘Gift of Life’
Dr T S Mahant, who was accompanied by Dr Rajat Gupta (consultant — paediatric cardiology) and Dr Garima Garg (associate consultant, paediatric cardiology), commended his team for their dedication. Dr Mahant said, “Despite the language barrier that we face with patients from African countries, the best reward and satisfaction that we get is that priceless smile and joy on the faces of the parents of these children. This strengthens our belief in the oneness and humanity.”
Accompanied by their respective mothers, two boys, Takunda (11 years), Tafadzwa (11 years), and a girl Farirai (3-1/2 years) from Zimbabwe were all agog with joy. However, one girl Heather (1 year) could not be operated because of complications. She has been advised surgery after two years, said Hassan Singh Mejie, chairman, Rotary Heartline project.
