| Prof. Savitri Shrivastava |
Professor Savitri Shrivastava, Director, Paediatric & Congenital Heart Diseases Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre New Delhi recently received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Annual PICS (Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Society) meeting held in Miami, Florida. She is the first Indian and the first woman as well to receive this prestigious award from the largest international society on paediatric interventional cardiology.
The award aims to encourage and recognise those who have contributed exceptionally to the field of interventional cardiology in congenital and structural heart diseases. The target audience at the symposium were paediatric cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, adult cardiologists, healthcare professionals with interest in the care of children and adults with structural heart diseases. Dr Shrivastava, a distinguished cardiologist, has received Lifetime Achievement Awards twice before for outstanding contribution to cardiology. She received these accolades from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India, in 2006 and Dr Pratibha Patil, President of India in 2008. She is the Founder of Paediatric Cardiac Society of India and a pioneer in the country to perform balloon mitral valvotomy and other interventional procedures.
The main focus of the symposium was on the latest interventional catheter strategies for congenital and structural heart disease in children and adults. Live case demonstrations were showcased from catheterisation laboratories from the eight centres around the world. There were special sessions which included debates on closure of all types of septal defects, percutaneous valve implantation and hybrid techniques.