SBI offers Rs 10 crore for development of paediatric cardiac ICU at Lucknow PGI

Lucknow, Aug 18 (PTI) The State Bank of India on Monday presented a Rs 10 crore cheque to support the development of a state-of-the-art paediatric cardiac intensive care unit at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.

The monetary support, as part of the SBI's corporate social responsibility initiative, was handed over at the official residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the institute said in a statement.

The paediatric cardiac Intensive Care Unit (ICU), being set up in collaboration with the state government and Saloni Heart Foundation in USA, will function under the Department of Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CVTS) of Saloni Heart Centre in the institute.

"Phase 1 of Saloni Heart Centre was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in October 2024. The 30-bedded Paediatric CVTS ward was already made functional. The operation theatre and ICU were being run with the help of the CVTS department. The Uttar Pradesh government has granted Rs 1.5 crore for renovation of the ICU, which is now complete," the statement said.

The establishment of a dedicated pediatric cardiac ICU at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) will facilitate critical diagnosis, surgical management, and post-operative care for children with complex cardiac diseases.

Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Adityanath said, "For a long time, Uttar Pradesh lacked advanced facilities for treatment of paediatric heart diseases. In this context, the establishment of the Saloni Heart Centre at SGPGIMS has been a landmark achievement. Since its inauguration 18 months ago, the centre has successfully performed more than 300 paediatric heart surgeries. While the first phase is fully operational, work on the second phase is progressing swiftly." He lauded the efforts of Mili Seth and Himanshu Seth, founders of the Saloni Heart Foundation, and acknowledged the crucial contribution of the SBI Foundation, the state government said in a statement.

He said the project is a direct outcome of the Global Investors Summit 2023.

Adityanath expressed confidence that SBI Foundation's support will further strengthen capabilities at the Saloni Heart Centre.

The event was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Minister of State for Medical Health and Medical Education Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, along with senior officials from the Saloni Foundation, SBI, SGPGIMS, and the Health Department, the statement added. PTI NAV RUK RUK