JAMMU: In a powerful testament to accessible and compassionate healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir, a 9-year-old girl from a remote village in Kathua district has returned home with a healthy heart after undergoing a complex open-heart surgery at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Narayana Superspeciality Hospital.
The intricate procedure was successfully performed on February 4, 2026, by a cardiac surgery team led by Dr. Vinod Bhan, Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, and Dr. Romil Dutt Sharma, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon.
Explaining the innovative surgical approach, the doctors said the child was suffering from a severely narrowed pulmonary valve along with a large atrial septal defect (ASD). “Instead of implanting an expensive artificial valve that would require lifelong medication and blood thinners, we used a novel technique by mobilizing and reshaping the right atrial appendage to create an autologous living pulmonary valve and reconstructed the RVOT with pericardium. This valve grows with the child, offers better long-term outcomes, and allows her to live a normal life without lifelong drug dependency,” they said.
The anaesthesia team, comprising Dr. Maninder Singh (Senior Consultant) and Dr. Shivani Sharma (Junior Consultant), played a critical role in maintaining the child’s stability during the high-risk surgery.
For the family—residents of a small village in Kathua and with the father working as a daily wager—the child’s breathlessness and inability to play had been a constant concern. Multiple consultations at hospitals across North India had proved financially and logistically impossible. The breakthrough came during a Quarterly Pediatric Cardiac Outreach Camp organized by the hospital at its Day Care Clinic in Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, where Dr Sushant Sharma, Senior Consultant Cardiology identified the life-threatening condition.
Despite the complexity of the surgery, the family was assured that financial constraints would not stand in the way of treatment. Under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY SEHAT scheme, along with support from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the entire treatment—including surgery, Pediatric ICU stay, medicines, and consumables—was provided completely cashless.
“We were terrified about the cost,” said the child’s father emotionally. “But at SMVD Narayana, we were treated with dignity. We did not pay a single rupee, yet my daughter received care like a VIP. The Shrine Board has truly created a blessing for poor families like ours.”
The successful treatment highlights SMVD Narayana Superspeciality Hospital as a center of excellence offering comprehensive pediatric care—from diagnosis to complex cardiac surgery—under one roof. The facility is backed by state-of-the-art NICU and PICU services, ensuring international standards of safety and hygiene within the region.
Commenting on the achievement, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Executive Director, SMVD Institute of Medical Excellence, said, “The Shrine Board’s mission is to ensure that geography and poverty never become barriers to life-saving treatment. Today, a child from a remote village in Kathua has access to the same advanced cardiac care as a child in New Delhi.”
Dr. M. M. Mathavan, Facility Director, added, “This case reflects our commitment to comprehensive care—from identifying patients at outreach camps to performing high-end surgeries and ensuring free discharge. We are dedicated to serving the last person in the queue.”
The young girl has since been discharged and is back in her village, preparing to return to school—an inspiring example of how medical innovation, public welfare schemes, and compassionate care can together transform lives.
