Advanced Heart-Lung Machine Boosts Cardiac Care at King George Hospital
Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy inaugurated a state-of-the-art ‘heart and lung’ machine at King George Hospital (KGH) on Tuesday, strengthening critical care at one of north Andhra’s largest government hospitals.
Addressing the gathering, the minister said the Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CVTS) unit in the cardiology department plays a key role in saving cardiac patients across the region. “The CVTS unit at KGH has become a lifeline for patients who cannot afford private treatment. This advanced machine will further improve surgical outcomes,” he said.
ICICI Bank Foundation donated the ₹2 crore equipment under its CSR initiative.
The minister said the cardiology department, set up between 1995 and 1998, started performing open heart surgeries before 2000. This made KGH one of the earliest government hospitals in the state to offer such procedures. He noted that the earlier machine had malfunctioned, causing inconvenience to patients and doctors.
Vamsikrishna Srinivas raised the issue with the minister. District Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad then coordinated with ICICI Bank, which funded the new machine.
The minister said the government is upgrading the cath lab at KGH with CSR support. This will improve diagnostic and interventional cardiology services. He added that the state is digitising health records under the ‘Sanjeevani’ project to ensure easy access to patient data.
He said the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund supports treatments not covered under NTR Vaidya Seva. “No patient should miss treatment due to financial issues,” he said. He also said ICICI Bank has funded two new operating theatres, which have recently started functioning.
Public representatives and officials praised the joint effort of the government and corporate sector in strengthening public healthcare.
P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, NTR Vaidya Seva Trust chairman Seethamraju Sudhakar, ICICI Bank Foundation representatives, KGH Superintendent I. Vani, Andhra Medical College Principal KVSM Sandhya Devi, and KGH Administrator B.V. Ramana attended the event.