Chandigarh: The Haryana government today signed an MoU with Jaipur-based Narayana Hrudayalaya and Fortis Hospital Mohali to provide children suffering from congenital heart disease (CHD) free quality care and surgical services.

"An agreement was signed today between the Haryana Government, Jaipur-based Narayana Hrudayalaya and Fortis Hospital Mohali," an official release said here.

Children diagnosed with congenital cardiac disease will be provided paediatric cardiac surgeries under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), it said.

The MoU was signed by the Mission Director National Health Mission Haryana Saket Kumar on behalf of the state government.

The release quoting Kumar said Gurugram-based Artemis Hospital has been empanelled with the state for this purpose.

To avail benefits under RBSK parents should approach District Early Intervention Centres. The manager or coordinators will support them in screening and confirming health condition of children and if required will process all papers for treatment at state-run and private hospitals, Kumar said.

"The parents will get a permission letter from the health mission against which they will receive treatment on cashless basis at empanelled hospitals," he said.

CHD is the most common birth defect and has substantial contribution in neonatal, infant and under-five mortality rates. Many babies are born with critical CHD succumb in their first year, Kumar said.

He said under RBSK many children with CHD are waiting for treatment at government hospitals as only some have the specialised service.

Therefore, it is expected of private hospitals to provide timely access to surgeries to children and contribute to reducing mortality rates, he said.