December 29, 2025

Celebrating 25 Years of Amrita Hospital in Kochi, India’s Pediatric Cardiac Program

25 years ago, Children’s HeartLink began its groundbreaking partnership with Amrita Hospital in Kochi, Kerala India to increase access to high-quality pediatric heart care. This partnership not only shaped Children’s HeartLink’s current work but also transformed Amrita Hospital into a trusted leader in pediatric cardiac care, education, research and training in Kerala, throughout India and around the world.

As we celebrate Amrita’s pediatric cardiology department in its 25th year, let’s look back at what this partnership has achieved.

History and Foundations

Kids in a crowded line inside a dimly lit hospital ward.In 1998, Mata Amritananadamayi Devi, known as Amma, founded the Amrita Hospital in Kochi, India with a vision to provide those most in need with access to high quality medical care. That same year, pediatric cardiologist Dr. Krishna Kumar (Dr. KK) joined to start its pediatric cardiac department two years after completing his training in the U.S.

In the 1990s, India only had four comprehensive pediatric cardiology departments in the country. With so few, they could barely reach 1% of children born with heart defects. Despite its significant contribution to infant mortality in regions where preventable childhood ailments were declining, pediatric heart disease was not perceived as a priority. In addition to the tremendous shortfall in pediatric cardiology programs, there was also a lack of trained personnel.

In 2000, a partnership with Children’s HeartLink emerged as Amrita Hospital Kochi sought collaborators who would support their vision. The partnership with Children’s HeartLink enabled strategic collaboration with volunteering medical specialists from leading U.S. pediatric heart programs that included Boston Children’s Hospital, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, University of Minnesota and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.

Amrita Hospital Kochi thus began developing its quality pediatric cardiac program, which would:

  • Deliver clinical services that meet international standards of care at affordable costs
  • Create a training environment for pediatric cardiac professionals of all specialties
  • Conduct research that addresses their most important priorities and unique issues

Before even celebrating 25 years, the pediatric heart program at Amrita Hospital Kochi has succeeded in all these areas.

Bistra Zheleva
“It’s the people who have committed their lives to this field that made this all possible.”
—Bistra Zheleva, Vice President of Global Strategy and Advocacy at Children’s HeartLink

The People at the Heart

Reflecting on the past 25 years of Amrita Hospital Kochi’s pediatric cardiology department, Bistra Zheleva, who has been involved in the partnership, emphasized its uniqueness, “They take advantage of every opportunity. Seemingly small investments will have quadruple the impact because of who they are and their leaders.”

For example, in those early years of the department, Children’s HeartLink supported pediatric cardiologist Dr. Mahesh Kappanayil’s visit to United States to have him observe and interact with leading imaging experts.

Person standing next to large poster with medical diagrams and images.

Pictured above: Dr. Mahesh with poster “3D Virtual Reality Based Baffle Planning for Left Ventricle To Aorta Routing in Complex Congenital Heart Surgery- a Feasibility Study” at the 9th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery.

This sowed the seeds of development for an advanced state-of-the-art cardiac imaging program at Amrita Hospital Kochi. Dr. Mahesh went on to develop South Asia’s first 3D technology and innovation laboratories that now includes 3D printing and extended reality (XR) imaging.

It also set the stage for him to lead a first-of-its kind XR Pilot Program in partnership with Children’s HeartLink. The program unites pediatric heart care professionals across continents in real time to examine and discuss heart repair options.

“This transformative project evolved from our need to share expertise and knowledge in managing difficult cases across global pediatric cardiac units, particularly in the developing world. This also perfectly aligns with the philosophy of Children’s HeartLink’s, which supports partner hospitals across the developing world in improving quality of care.”

—Dr. Kappanayil Mahesh, Pediatric Cardiologist and leader of the Amrita Medical 3D Printing, Extended Reality and Innovation Laboratories at Amrita Hospital Kochi.

The pediatric heart program team at Amrita Hospital Kochi
Headshots of the pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, and cardiac anesthesia and intensive care teams at Amrita Hospital Kochi.

Dr-KK-Kumar-with-patient

Dr. Krishna Kumar Spotlight

The program at Amrita Hospital Kochi would not have become the program it is today without the visionary leadership of Dr. KK. His dedication and passion for helping those in need have transformed the lives of countless children and their families who now have access to quality care for heart disease.

Dr. KK shares he was also fortunate to have been consistently supported by a visionary administration and an exceptionally talented and motivated team of caregivers in building this program and department.

More about Dr. KK

Major Milestones & Achievements

Over the next 25 years with critical support from Children’s HeartLink, Amrita Hospital Kochi’s pediatric cardiac program achieved guideposts and transitioned to emerge as the first Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence in 2011. The department is now an academic thought leader in finding solutions and opportunities to improve pediatric cardiac care in low-resource settings and has a reputation for being one of the best training programs in India.

Black and white photo of give nurses posing for the camera.

2000 – The partnership between Amrita Hospital Kochi and Children’s HeartLink begins.

2001-2003 – Yearly visits by Dr. Stephen Roth from Boston Children’s Hospital to Amrita Hospital Kochi to support the development of pediatric cardiac intensive care.

2004 – Children’s HeartLink sponsors two nurses from Amrita Hospital Kochi for a one month observation at Boston Children’s Hospital, USA. They returned to establish a strong nursing foundation for Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

2007 – Dr. Rakhi Balachandran with Amrita Hospital Kochi completes an observation at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford, USA focused on ICU best practices. She returns to systematically develop and implement ICU protocols that helped transform the quality of postoperative intensive care.

Group of medical professionals in scrubs standing around facing one another.

2008 – Amrita Hospital Kochi launches first comprehensive fetal cardiac program in India for early diagnosis of congenital heart defects in unborn fetuses and appropriate follow up care. Dr. Balu Vaidyanathan spearheaded fetal cardiology services, which later evolve into an academic center of excellence in partnership with fetal medicine services.

2009 – A dedicated pediatric cardiac intensive care unit is established at Amrita Hospital Kochi under the guidance of Dr Rakhi Balachandran, staffed by pediatric cardiac intensivists 24/7. Over the next 3-4 years, systems and protocols are established and streamlined. To further strengthen ICU care, Children’s HeartLink facilitates training for pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists Dr. Amitabh Sen and Dr. Joel Devassia at Boston Children’s Hospital, USA and SickKids Hospital, Toronto, Canada.

2010 – Amrita Hospital Kochi joins the International Quality Improvement Collaborative (IQIC) accelerating improvements in postoperative outcomes. Children’s HeartLink supports this effort by facilitating annual IQIC data audits.

2011 – Amrita Hospital Kochi becomes the first Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence in care, training and leadership.

2014 – Amrita Hospital Kochi receives the British Medical Journal Award for Quality Improvement in Indian Healthcare.

2015 – Dr. Brijesh Kottayil completes observation at Boston Children’s Hospital, USA and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford, USA focused on advanced surgical techniques. He returned with a wealth of ideas that helped transform the surgical management of several conditions.

2016 – In partnership with the Kerala Government, Children’s HeartLink and Amrita served as technical advisors on the development of Hridyam “For Little Hearts” program, an online registration system to manage the detection and referral of patients with congenital heart disease. The Hridyam program helps reduce infant deaths in Kerala.

Nurse checking an infant on an operating table in a hospital.

2017 – Pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist Dr. Jessin Jayasankar and pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Praveen Reddy observe specific management strategies for pre-term and neonatal complex pediatric cardiac surgeries under the guidance of Dr. Mohan Reddy at the University of California San Francisco. This training was facilitated by Children’s HeartLink.

2018 – Together with Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence Institut Janting Negara in Malaysia, Amrita Hospital Kochi launches the Children’s HeartLink Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiac Sciences. This is a fellowship training program for individuals from low- and middle-income countries in pediatric cardiology, pediatric cardiac surgery and pediatric cardiac intensive care.

2021 – Amrita Hospital Kochi Initiates the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic, providing lifelong follow-up care for patients who received care as children.

2023 – Amrita Hospital Kochi is awarded the status of collaborating center of excellence in research by Indian Council for Medical Research.

Dr. Kumar
“As I see it, Children’s HeartLink has served as a key catalyst in many of our efforts towards building a Center of Excellence. Many of our key initiatives that have dramatically transformed the outlook of children who get care at Amrita Hospital have been facilitated by Children’s HeartLink. We especially value this collaboration because it is based on mutual respect and largely dictated by our specific requirements. It is a true partnership that has never been prescriptive.”
—Dr. KK, Clinical Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatric Cardiology at Amrita Hospital Kochi
Chart of Amrita Pediatric Heart Program and Children's HeartLink's collaborative efforts

Chart of Amrita Pediatric Heart Program and Children’s HeartLink’s collaborative efforts

Key Achievements

  • First and most comprehensive pediatric cardiac program in Kerala, India
  • First comprehensive and dedicated fetal cardiac program in India and South Asia
  • India’s first Dedicated Cardiac MRI Program for patients with congenital heart diseases
  • Supported the development of numerous Children’s HeartLink initiatives including Parent Education Discharge Instructions, Nurse Residency Program, subspeciality fellowships, XR/VR capabilities, and so much more

See a comprehensive list of their achievements

A 25 Year Impact in india and Beyond

Two surgeons looking down during a surgery.

Lower mortality rates

  • The department now performs 800+ heart surgeries a year and maintains a mortality rate of under 1.5%.
  • The fetal cardiac program, under the leadership of Dr. Balu Vaidyanathan, has performed 10,000 fetal echo studies, performed more than 700 planned deliveries for fetuses with critical heart defects and fast-tracked 350+ neonates to early surgical correction with >98% success rates.
  • Through its collaboration with Children’s HeartLink and the Kerala Government, the Hridyam program has contributed to significant reductions in infant deaths in Kerala from 12 to 7 babies per 1,000 births. This became the lowest infant mortality rate in India. Amrita Hospital Kochi also performs the vast majority of surgeries for the Hridyam program. Read more about how one state in India transformed heart care for children
Auditorium full of people with large presentation screen on stage.

Training and Leadership in Research

Even before becoming a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence, Amrita Hospital Kochi was an international training site. They’ve accepted and trained 55 individuals and teams from India and around the world including Malaysia, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Many now lead or have established pediatric cardiology programs of their own. Learn more about how our trainee is now a trainer.

They’re also a thought leader in the field of pediatric cardiology and have a strong focus on research rooted in the India context.

  • The department has organized 23 conferences and more than 150 CME programs for India and in other countries.
  • The department’s faculty has organized over 100 sessions of their online teaching program.
  • The department has published over 200 papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals and has contributed chapters in leading textbooks.
Amrita-Hosptial-Kochi-Training-June-2024

Other Innovations

  • Their unique cohesive team approach to pediatric heart care includes cultivating physicians with diverse skills and cross-functional staff including nurses, technologists and social workers to positively impact patient outcomes and create a more efficient multidisciplinary team.
  • Their learnings in the pediatric program are frequently applied to other clinical services across the hospital. For example, an infection control training supported by Children’s HeartLink was later applied to the whole hospital to keep infection rates low.
  • Deliberate tracking of clinical outcomes led to Amrita Hospital Kochi becoming one of the first hospitals to join the International Quality Improvement Collaborative.
Pie chart and map showing percent of infants in India receiving timely care went from 1.3-1.5% in 1998 to 17-22% in 2025 and various cities where care has taken place.

Source: Map and data graphic created by Dr. KK

By the Numbers

Since its inception, Amrita Hospital Kochi’s Pediatric Cardiology Department has:

  • Outpatient: 227,339 (New & Review)
  • Inpatient Admissions: 21,606
  • Echocardiograms: 214,225
  • Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: 18,102
  • Catheter procedures: 12,032
  • Fetal Echocardiograms: 6,444
  • Cardiac MRI: 3,544

Commemorative Events

To celebrate 25 years of its Pediatric Cardiology Department, Amrita Hospital Kochi held a free Pediatric Cardiology Mega Medical Camp on September 14, 2025. The camp offered over 400 children under the age of 18 free expert consultations, diagnostic services, and heart surgeries for those selected.

Amma has also announced a grant to increase access for those in need of these surgeries and life-saving interventions.

Jackie Boucher
Amrita Hospital, Kochi at 25 years reflects an exceptional leadership team, a clear vision and a team’s dedication to improving the lives of children born with congenital heart disease. It is also proof that strong, sustainable local programs can transform health care systems and give all children the future they deserve.
—Jackie Boucher, President of Children’s HeartLink

Recap and Looking Ahead

Amrita Hospital Kochi demonstrates what’s possible when the right people, long-term partnership and sustained investment come together. With support from Children’s HeartLink and its donors, a holistic pediatric heart program has transformed care in this region—saving lives, strengthening systems and reshaping what children’s heart care can look like for generations.

This is Children’s HeartLink’s mission and vision, lived out.

Amrita Hospital Kochi’s plans to grow its transformative approach to children’s heart care in low-resource environments in the coming years to include:

  • Partnering with other state governments in India and select countries to deliver affordable care and build regional capacity, including the state government of Jharkhand, India, the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia and the Government of Kenya.
  • Continuing efforts to develop contextually relevant research initiatives with several grant funded projects already underway.
  • Continuing efforts to share collected experience through innovative remote teaching initiatives.

The significance of these past 25 years cannot be overstated. It reflects the dedication of clinicians, partners and supporters united by a shared commitment to children and families in need. This is what Children’s HeartLink makes possible when local teams are empowered, supported and connected to a global network.

Support Children’s HeartLink and its partners in transforming pediatric heart care in underserved parts of the world.

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