In a swift, life-saving operation, an eight-day-old infant suffering from a critical congenital heart condition was successfully airlifted via an air ambulance from Jabalpur to Mumbai on Thursday evening. The emergency evacuation was carried out under the direct guidance of Jabalpur District Collector, Raghavendra Singh. The newborn, baby Ayushi Rukmani Dahiya, hails from Shahdol district. Upon learning of her critical cardiac condition, her family reached out to Subhash Shukla, Manager of Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) in Jabalpur. Recognising the urgency, Shukla coordinated with Dr Pradeep Jain, a Pediatric Cardiologist at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College to assess the infant’s condition. Without wasting any time, coordination was quickly established with Shahdol District’s RBSK Manager, Kanchan Patel and the medical team at Narayana Hospital in Mumbai.

 

All necessary clearances and financial approvals were secured under Mukhyamantri Bal Hridaya Upchar Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). The air ambulance departed from Jabalpur airport at around 4:00 pm on Thursday, heading for Narayana Hospital in Mumbai, where advanced pediatric cardiac care awaited the infant. Senior health and administrative officials were present at the airport to ensure a seamless transit and offer support to the anxious family. The team comprised of Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr Naveen Kothari, District Health Officer, Dr Vineeta Uppal, DEIM, Subhash Shukla, Shriya Awasthi, Vikas Shrivastava and Dhaval Trivedi. Overwhelmed by the rapid response and seamless execution of the airlift, the infant’s family expressed their deep gratitude to the MP Health Department, District Administration and the RBSK team for giving their child a fighting chance at life.