The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal has achieved a major milestone in pediatric cardiac care under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) of the National Health Mission (NHM), Manipur, by successfully performing device closure procedures for congenital heart diseases for the first time at RIMS.
RIMS has already been performing open-heart surgeries for children under the RBSK programme, providing life‑saving treatment free of cost to eligible children. The successful introduction of catheter‑based device closure procedures, which are minimally invasive and allow faster recovery, marks a significant advancement in cardiac care in the state.
The procedures were carried out with the guidance and leadership of Dr. Shyam Kumar Thingnam, Retired Head of Department, CTVS, PGI Chandigarh, Prof. Manoj Kumar Rohit, HOD Cardiology of PGI Chandigarh. Prof. Ch Dhanaraj HOD Medicine, Prof. Th Chito, HOD CTVS, Prof. L Pradip of Anaesthesiogy ,Dr. Dhanachand, Dr. Shingamlung Kamei of Cardiology RIMS and their teams participated in the procedure.
On March 9, four pediatric cardiac procedures were successfully performed, including two PDA device closures, one ASD device closure, and one pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty in children aged between 3 and 9 years.
The Director of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal congratulated the entire multidisciplinary team for this landmark achievement. The Director stated, “The successful introduction of device closure procedures for congenital heart diseases at RIMS marks a major step forward in strengthening advanced pediatric cardiac care in Manipur. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), our goal is to ensure that children with congenital heart diseases receive timely and high‑quality treatment without the need to travel outside the state. This achievement reflects the dedication, teamwork, and commitment of our doctors and healthcare professionals, he stated.
He further stated that RIMS will continue to expand advanced medical services for the benefit of the people of Manipur and the entire Northeast region.
This landmark achievement marks an important step towards expanding advanced, minimally invasive pediatric cardiac services in Manipur and improving access to specialized care for children in the region.
