Patna: Jeevak Heart Hospital doctors performed surgeries on two children with blue baby syndrome - a cyanotic heart defect that causes bluish coloration of skin, nails, lips and tongue among babies - on Saturday.

Led by the hospital's chief cardiac surgeon Dr Ajit Pradhan, the team operated upon 5-year-old Diwakar Kumar, son of Rohtas labourer Munna Kumar Sah, and 8-year-old Anjali, daughter of Buxar carpenter Vinod Kumar Sharma. Dr Pradhan said both fathers earned around Rs 8,000 a month and were unable to get their children operated upon till now.

A hole between the right and the left sides of the heart causes pure and impure blood to mix in this condition, and when supplied through the body, it causes bluish coloration of the skin.

Dr Pradhan said the hospital conducted the surgeries with support of the state government. "We had applied for reimbursement under a government scheme that provides Rs 1.35 lakh for surgeries on a patient above and below poverty line. Each of the surgeries cost Rs 1.5 lakh, so the government bore 70 per cent of the expense and the families paid the rest. We will perform the procedure on another 13-year-old patient on Sunday," said Pradhan.

He added that the hospital also conducted free 2D echo on as many as 60 children suffering from complex congenital heart diseases. "The most common heart problem among children is hole in their hearts. The children who were provided the free diagnostic facilities (2D echo) not only had holes in their hearts but also suffered from other heart conditions, including some complex disorders. So correctly diagnosing such cases was very important," said Pradhan.

The hospital, he added, conducted the free tests as part of its 20th foundation day celebrations.

"We are the first facility in Patna to have a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, besides the first to perform bypass surgery and start other cardiac facilities here," the chief cardiac surgeon said.