The loftiest Human Duty is to serve Mankind. Out of all creatures of God, it is only the human being, who can bestow comfort, ease and peace to all leaving creatures through his thoughts, acts and knowledge. In human body, the most crucial organ is the heart, which is also believed to be the seat of Soul. When Soul departs, the body perishes. To nurture the body, the heart pumps 5 to 6 minutes of blood every minute and beats more than 100,000 times relentlessly every day. This valuable organ must be looked after in order to lead a healthy life.

In India, approximately more than 60 million people are suffering from heart disease and has become a major public health problem. The pattern of heart disease prevalent in our population is based on age. It has found that more than 60% of population in their most productive age between 40 to 65 years, develop coronary artery disease the channel that supplies blood to the heart, which get narrowed due to cholesterol deposition and results in varying degree of pain in chest (Angina). If angina is not relieved the heart muscle die due to lack of oxygen due to lack of blood supply called heart attack (Myocardial Infarction), which is fatal in 25% of cases. To another 40%, rheumatic heart disease occurs between 15 to 25 years of age especially in female child due to rheumatic fever preceded by recurrent sore throat infection. The disease itself causes swelling and pain in various joints, involvement of heart valves leading to shrinkage and leakage. Twenty percent of heart disease occurs at birth, in which the baby is born with a hole in the heart or as a blue baby. Patients with rheumatic heart disease and birth defects are commonly belong to lower stratum of society require costly operation to save their life.

While serving at State Premier Medical Institute at SGPGIMS, Prof (Dr) A K Srivastava had gone to Papworth Hospital at Cambridge University, UK in 1996, for undergoing training in Heart Transplantation procedure and technology, which is an established method of saving lives of patients suffering from irreversible heart failure, unresponsive to medical therapy. Impressed with the mode and patterns of British Heart Foundation, Dr Srivastava conceived an idea to establish a Foundation in India with similar objectives to create awareness regarding healthy heart in the society.

Despite advancement in technology, invention of life saving drugs, better understanding of diseases, Dr Srivastava was always concerned and perturbed with the increasing incidence of heart disease in India, especially in much younger people suffering from heart attack particular of middle and lower strata of society. Dr Srivastava wanted to establish another institution, where he could devote rest of his life in creating awareness and popularizes his effective campaign as “Save Heart and Save Life” in the society. He, therefore, resigned from SGPGIMS from the post of Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at age of 50, in 2002 and dedicated himself in fulfilments of aims and objectives of Divine Heart Foundation (India).

Divine Heart Foundation sooner realized that without having a hospital, the purpose of serving the society at large, would not be fulfilled. As a modest beginning Foundation, established a 25 beds Heart Hospital, by the name of Divine Heart Hospital & Research Centre, in a rented premise in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, which was inaugurated by then the Governor of Uttar Pradesh Sri Vishnu Kant Shastri on 9th March, 2003.

Encouraged with great public demand and support, Divine Heart Foundation acquired 90,000 square feet (more than two acres) of land through Lucknow Development Authority in Viraj Khand Institutional Area in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow to build a world class Heart Hospital to provide comprehensive and dedicated cost-effective treatment to patients suffering from heart diseases. By God Grace and Public Support, Divine Heart Foundation established a New 100 Beds Heart Hospital with excellent infrastructure and ultramodern facilities for the management of all kinds of Heart Ailments. Divine Heart Hospital was inaugurated by then the President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and function was presided over by then Ex- Prime Minister of India Sri Atal Bihari Bajpayee Ji, Honorable Member of Parliament of Lucknow, on 3rd March, 2006.