Chennai. June 26, 2026: The Rotary Club of Madras East (RID 3234), in association with the Rotary Club of Irvine and Rotary district 5320, Irvine, USA, inaugurated Project SHISHU (Global Grant #2683839) — a Rotary Global Grant project marking the donation of a state-of-the-art Neonatal Ambulance to the Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, Nungambakkam, Chennai. The inauguration ceremony was held at the hospital premises on 26th June 2026. This ambulance is to safely move critically ill newborn babies to the hospital.

The ambulance was handed over by Rtn AKS Er Muruganandam M (MMM), the Chief Guest, RI Vice President 2026–27 and RI Director 2025–27, and Chairman of Excel Group of Companies in the presence of The Guest of Honour, Rtn AKS Vinod Saraogi, District Governor, RID 3234 and many Rotarians.

Dr. Janani Sankar, Medical Director, Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital expressed her gratitude to Rotary Club of Madras East for their kind gesture and added that the ambulance is fully equipped to manage critically ill neonates while being transported from other hospitals to our NICU. This Ambulance, valued at ₹72 lakhs, is equipped with a transport incubator, neonatal ventilator and advanced life support systems, bringing NICU level care directly to newborns during transport. Designed as a “Neonatal ICU on wheels”, this ambulance ensures uninterrupted critical care for the sick extreme premature neonates as +early as 24 weeks and neonates weighing less than 600 grams from the moment they leave the hospital till they reach our NICU, especially involving long distance inter-state transports. Our NICU is a State-of-the-Art centre which deals with many challenging neonatal problems. Neonates as low as 600 gms are treated in our NICU and we provide 24/7 coverage and care by trained Neonatologists.

Speaking at the event Rtn Balaji Sreenivasan, President – RC of Madras East said:  Since our charter in 1985, RCME has stood as a pillar of community service in Chennai. With 200 committed Rotarians, the club has always believed that true service means reaching those who need it most. Project SHISHU is a proud reflection of that belief — a neonatal ambulance that will ensure no newborn loses the battle simply because help arrived too late. At RCME, we do many projects with focus on maternal and child health, women empowerment, and youth services to name a few”

He further highlighted RCME’s extensive work in healthcare, including initiatives focused on neonatal care, paediatric cardiac surgeries, cancer care, vision restoration, mental health, and community wellness.

Project SHISHU — an acronym reflecting the Rotary commitment to the well-being of newborns — addresses one of the most critical challenges in neonatal healthcare: the safe transfer of critically ill newborns. The donated neonatal ambulance is equipped with advanced life-support systems purpose-built for neo-natal care, enabling the safe transport of premature and critically ill infants to and from the CHILDS Trust Hospital.

Project SHISHU is funded through Rotary International's prestigious Global Grant mechanism (Grant #2683839), made possible through an international partnership between the Rotary Club of Madras East (RID 3234, Chennai) and the Rotary Club of Irvine (USA). The project reflects the power of cross-border Rotary collaboration in delivering high-impact humanitarian outcomes.