A view of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi.

| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Over the past year, more than 1,000 paediatric surgeries have been carried out by the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, attached to the K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College, reflecting a growing trend of high-quality healthcare at the public facility.“In recent years, we have shifted from open surgeries to laparoscopic procedures for paediatric patients as well as grown-ups. As these are minimally invasive operations, the hospital stay period is shorter. Though laparoscopy is not more complicated than regular surgery, it does require a learning curve for surgeons,” Niran Kumar, assistant professor, Department of Paediatric Surgery, told The Hindu.Approximately 600-700 paediatric surgeries at the hospital could be classified as major procedures, said Dr. Kumar. “We see many children with congenital problems. Around 20% of our child patients have urological issues such as vesicoureteral reflux, [a condition where urine flows backward from the bladder up into the ureters and often into the kidneys]. These children require long-term follow-up and multiple surgeries in some cases, which we have been sustaining successfully,” he said.Congenital defects such as absent anus, requiring multiple staged surgeries from birth until one year, and diaphragmatic hernia, when abdominal organs push through an opening or defect in the diaphragm into the chest cavity, obstructing lung development in infants, are among the other commonly reported cases at the hospital. The department carries out routine corrective surgeries for cleft lip and cleft palate.All the surgeries are conducted free of charge, and if eligible, under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.“The availability of advanced technology and qualified radiologists in peripheral health centres thanks to recent government schemes has helped us to detect and plan surgeries at the antenatal stage itself. We counsel the mothers from the pregnancy stage and guide their child’s treatment after delivery. Besides this, we also get referral cases from the nearby districts of Karur, Ariyalur, and Perambalur,” said Dr. Kumar. Published - May 30, 2026 07:08 pm IST