The Bombay Heart Brigade, which started as a network between cardiac care facilities in the city since 1995, plans to expand its service to the other cities like Bangalore and Rajkot within a few months. It also aims to increase the number of local hospitals in its fold.

The free service started by the Rotary Club of Bombay, was the brainchild of Rotarian Manubhai Chawda. The Rotary clubs in Pune and Nasik have also started providing the service (Pune since the last three years and Nasik since the last one year). Rotary clubs in Bangalore and Rajkot also plan to implement the service within a few months.

As many as 30 to 40 people suffer a heart attack in Mumbai every day. Nearly 65 per cent people die if they are not given first aid, within the first half hour of suffering a heart attack. The only service of this kind in the country, has one aim -- to give first aid to a person who is suffering a heart attack and to get him to an ICCU, within the crucial first half hour. All that the person has to do is dial 105 and he can save himself. The Rotary club of Bombay started this service with funds provided by philanthropists.

"Once a person calls the helpline number - 105, his call gets directed to the ICCU in the hospital that is closest to him/her. The doctor, who is on call, rushes to the patients help in the ambulance provided by the Rotary club and he brings him in to the ICCU within half an hour," explains Manubhai Chawda. This service is totally free of cost and once the person gets admitted into the ICCU, the Heart Brigade's work is done," adds Chawda.

In Mumbai, the Heart Brigade has 16 hospitals working on a contractual basis in helping them provide this service. A few of the hospitals that are already working with the Heart Brigade are Jaslok Hospital, Lilavati Hospital, Bombay Hospital etc. "The latest addition to the service providers is the Wockhardt Hospital in Mulund," says Rotarian, Nandan Damani who is in charge of the Heart Brigade. JJ Hospital, due to its poor performance in providing the service, was removed from the list. "We aim to have a hospital on contract near every railway station. We are also approaching the corporate sector to help us propagate the service," adds Damani.