Parents of Apparently Normal child Sophia Ramkhalawan were Jolted Back to Know that she Needed Open Heart Surgery; Decided to Visit India

Sophia is a 3 years old girl from Trinidad and Tobago. She was born on 19th February 2016. While doing her complete health checkup, the doctor diagnosed that she has an atrial septal defect. Although she did not have any signs and symptoms related to the condition, the doctor recommended that she would need open-heart surgery. The parents did not want to take any risks with her life. To obtain the best treatment for Sophia, the couple decided to visit India for the surgery.

Quest for the right heart doctor

While the family was trying to know about the best heart doctor in India, they came to know about Vaidam Health, who would facilitate their trip to India. As soon as their query was posted, the parents were contacted by one of the case managers. The reports were shared with the best cardiac surgeons in India and opinions along with the cost estimates were given to the family. Ultimately, they decided to visit Apollo Hospital, Chennai. Soon after the team started making all the necessary arrangements.

Organizing the medical trip

The team arranged a Visa Invitation Letter from the hospital and applied for a medical visa. Within 72 hours of visa application, they received their visa at the email address. Vaidam also arranged their place of accommodation as per their preferences and ensured airport pickup. After everything was done, the family landed in India on 18th July 2019.

Experience in India

Right after Sophia and her parents arrived in India, they were taken to the hotel and their appointment was scheduled with Dr Nivelle Solomon, one of the finest cardiac surgeons in India. During their first meeting, the doctor heard everything patiently and noted down a detailed case history. He did a clinical examination and also ordered some tests such as ECG, chest x-ray, etc. After the reports came back, it was clear that the child needed surgery and was ready to bear it. Thereafter, the surgery was performed as scheduled. Sophia stayed in the hospital for a few days and then discharged when she started recovering. The doctor explained to the parents in detail about everything they needed to take care after they would go back.

Feedback

Sophia’s parents were highly satisfied when asked about their entire experience. “ We are so thankful to Vaidam team for arranging everything on time. It would have been so difficult for us to get everything in place otherwise.”