In a remarkable achievement, the Department of Paediatric Surgery at Government Rajindra Hospital successfully saved the life of a one-day-old female child born with a critical congenital anomaly. Disclosing this, Punjab Medical Education & Research and Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said that the entire treatment of the child was provided free of cost under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana.
Addressing a press conference here, the Health Minister said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the healthcare revolution in Punjab has enabled government hospitals to provide free and better treatment facilities near people’s homes, surpassing private hospitals in many areas. Dr Balbir Singh said that this successful surgery highlights the expertise and dedication of the multi-disciplinary team constituted by the Punjab Government to handle complex neonatal surgical emergencies at Rajindra Hospital.
The Health Minister informed that on the night of April 20, 2026, a baby girl weighing 2.1 kg was delivered through a major operation at Rajindra Hospital. The child’s parents, Karan Kumar and Neha, are residents of Rajpura city. Karan Kumar works as a mobile repair technician, and the couple had earlier lost two children during pregnancy, making the birth of this child extremely significant for the family.
He said that after birth, doctors discovered that a major portion of the baby’s food pipe (esophagus) had not developed, due to which she was unable to swallow milk or saliva. This condition had created a serious risk of chest infection and threatened the child’s life. Dr Balbir Singh said that a team comprising Dr Ravi Garg from the Department of Paediatric Surgery along with Dr Teg Rabab Singh and Dr Sukrit Singh Shah, and the anaesthesia team headed by Dr Parmod Kumar along with Dr Tripat Kaur Bindra and Dr Sumit Soni, successfully performed the surgery.
During the procedure, Dr Ravi Garg created an opening in the esophagus through the neck to allow saliva drainage, while a feeding tube was inserted into the baby’s stomach to provide nutrition. The Health Minister stated that this congenital defect occurs in one out of every 4,500 newborns in India and that only around 40 percent of such babies survive in the country.
He added that after many years, Government Rajindra Hospital has successfully treated such a rare defect through surgery for the first time, and the credit goes to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the hospital doctors. Dr Balbir Singh further informed that after the surgery, the baby remained admitted in the NICU ICU for 26 days.
He said that apart from Patiala, such surgeries are performed only at Government Medical College, Faridkot in the government sector. In private hospitals, the surgery and prolonged NICU stay would have cost at least Rs 12 to 15 lakh, but under the Punjab Government’s Chief Minister Sehat Yojana, the entire treatment was provided completely free of cost.
The child’s parents emotionally thanked the Punjab Government, the Health Minister and the doctors. Medical Superintendent Dr Vishal Chopra and other doctors were also present on the occasion.