UNI

Abu Dhabi / Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 5. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan has agreed to sponsor 100 heart surgeries to the financially backward patients in Kerala, as part of the Global Kerala Foundation's (GKF) scheme for free open heart surgery to the poor people, 'Hridayapoorvam'.

Talking to mediapersons here, GKF working chairman G Rajmohan said the Crown Prince expressing satisfaction over the humanitarian activites of the foundation, promised its Chairman M A Yousafali to sponsor 100 patients. Though the GKF's plan was to provide the facility to 50 patients in the initial stages, 150 heart patients could be treated following the promise from the Prince, he said.

The selection of the eligible patients would be based on the applications forwarded to the Health Minister by the Health Department, he added.

The project would start at KIMS hospital here on August 20 and simultaneously at Lake Shore Hospital at Kochi, he added.

In the second stage, the Foundation would take steps to improve public facilites like toilets and rest rooms to women bystanders at selected Government Hospitals in the State.