In a heartwarming testament to proactive healthcare, the Chirayu (RBSK) team in Chhattisgarh has once again snatched a life from the jaws of congenital heart disease. During a routine screening at an anganwadi center in Nargoda village, Sipat block, Masturi, the team detected a critical condition in 11 month old Dhruvesh Puri, son of daily wage laborers Narendra and Jyoti Puri. Swift action from referral to district hospital, advanced diagnostics at Mekahara Medical College, Raipur, consultations at AIIMS Raipur and Sri Satya Sai Hospital, to expert reviews at AIIMS Delhi and Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai culminated in a successful open heart surgery on April 1, 2026. Today, the infant thrives, a beacon of hope for underprivileged families.
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), known locally as Chirayu, exemplifies grassroots vigilance. Screening children aged 6 weeks to 18 years at schools and anganwadi’s, the program targets birth defects, diseases, deficiencies, and developmental delays. Here, complex cyanotic heart disease was identified via echocardiogram and blood tests. Persistent counseling overcame parental fears, facilitating the Chennai transfer on March 23. Collector Sanjay Agarwal praised the feat, congratulating the dedicated team: Nodal Doctor Dr. Saurabh Sharma, CMHO Dr. Shubha Garewal, BMO Dr. Anil, BPM Bhupendra Dewangan, and specialists Dr. Manish Singh, Dr. Sonam Dharm Bargah, Purnima, and others.
This saga underscores Chhattisgarh‘s public health prowess: free diagnostics, transport, surgery, and follow up bridge the chasm for the poor. Parents’ gratitude echoes a larger truth Chirayu is a lifeline, turning despair into joy.
Challenges persist: scaling screenings, specialist access in remote areas, and post op care. Yet stories like Dhruvesh’s affirm that early intervention saves futures, urging sustained investment in child health.
