Kerala Healthcare Brings New Life to Baby Ramraj, Earns Gratitude from UP Parents

Kasargod

says Shishu Pal, cradling his infant son, Ramraj, with a mixture of relief and awe. The family, originally from Uttar Pradesh, has been living in Kerala for the past two years, seeking work near the Kottoor Health Centre. The tiny baby, barely five months old, arrived at the hospital in a fragile state, his oxygen levels dangerously low. Families from the northern state often face the grim reality of infants gasping for breath, many lost to hospitals without proper facilities. Ramraj’s parents, Shishu Pal, a grass-cutting machine operator, and his wife Ruchi, a homemaker, were caught in a moment of fear no parent should know, but Kerala’s healthcare system offered them a lifeline. Last Monday, as Ramraj’s tiny chest struggled to rise, the Muliyar Community Health Centre sprang into action. The medical team quickly stabilised him and arranged an urgent transfer by ambulance to a private hospital in Kasaragod, equipped with a paediatric ICU. From there, he was referred to Kannur Government Medical College for further care. At every step, Muliyar’s health workers registered Ramraj under the state’s ‘Hridyam’ programme, a scheme devoted to the early detection and treatment of congenital heart defects in infants. Within days, Kozhikode’s Aster MIMS Hospital accepted Ramraj as the first case under the government’s renewed contract with the programme. On Friday, surgeons performed a delicate procedure to correct his heart defect: tricuspid atresia, a condition that blocks blood flow to the heart. Today, the parents are filled with gratitude towards the Kerala health system and the staff who guided them through a maze of referrals and procedures.

Ramraj’s survival is not merely a story of medical success but a living testament to the Kerala model, an approach that combines accessible healthcare with attentive social support, ensuring that even those far from the metropolis can find hope. In a country where infant mortality remains a harsh reality in many regions, this tiny boy’s recovery speaks volumes about the impact of foresight, coordination, and human compassion in healthcare.