The Golden Heart Initiative, launched in honor of Middle-East-based Indian businessman MA Yusuffali’s 50 years of philanthropy, provided free life-saving heart surgeries to fifty children from across the globe. Initiated on January 1, 2024, the surgeries were conducted at public and private hospitals in Tunisia, Egypt, and India, according to the organizers.

Children from conflict zones in Senegal, Libya, and Tunisia, as well as underprivileged families from Egypt and India, were the beneficiaries of the initiative, which concluded within three months. Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings, led the mission as a tribute to Yusuffali’s philanthropy over five decades.

Despite challenges posed by stringent travel restrictions, the organizers obtained special permissions to bring children from conflict zones to hospitals for the much-needed surgeries. In Kerala, eligible children received crucial treatment at hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

Moreover, the organization collaborated with the Kerala Health Department to offer high-cost surgeries for children suffering from critical conditions. These surgeries were conducted at hospitals enlisted under the state government’s ‘Hridyam’ project, aiming to provide essential medical care to children in need.

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