From establishing a CHD-CMR unit to 3D printing in a developing country pediatric cardiac unit

Background Units providing specialised, advanced care for children and adults with CHD are few and far-in-betwen in developing nations, despite having the greater proportion of the world’s burden of CHD. CHD scores low among the health care priorities of the State in most low-medium income countries (LMIC).However, centers of excellence in CHD care have emerged even in these environments with results matching those in developed nations. Among the last and least to develop in such limited resource environments are the modalities for advanced imaging. Cardiac MRI, in particular, has been late to emerge, and is yet to gain adequate foothold. Reasons : high infrastructural cost, highly expertise intensive, effor and time intensive. There are no dedicated CMR training programs in most developing countries including India. We attempt to trace the birth and steady growth of a dedicated CHD-CMR unit in a developing nation.