Narayana Hrudayalaya, the cardiac care major has become the first hospital in the country to launch a free mobile diagnostic lab with satellite communication for the rural areas.The data from the mobile diagnostic labs would provide the State useful information on the disease prevalence in each district. The hospital has already been given a go-ahead by the government of Karnataka for setting up coronary care unit in each of the 27 districts in the State in joint venture with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the State government.

The mobile service is to be introduced in the State at Sringeri in Dakshina Kannada district on December 27. Sri Bharathi Theertha Swamigal, head of Sringeri Mutt will launch the facility in the presence of Karnataka health and family welfare minister, Kagodu Thimmappa, Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, managing director, Narayana Hrudayalaya informed. "Although the service of mobile cardiac vans were prevalent in the West for hospitals in the suburbs, the service was paid one unlike what is being offered in India where the rural masses need not pay at all," he added.

The mobile cardiac diagnostic laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art echocardiography unit with colour Doppler, computerised treadmill unit, ECG machine and a lap top computer. A cardiac defibrillator unit has also been made available for emergency circumstances. The bus, which is from the Tata Automobile, is also equipped with a generator to backup power failures. The satellite communication is provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the cardiac specialists will keep in touch with the base hospital- Narayana Hrudayalaya.

The main reason for starting this mobile diagnostic lab is because 98 per cent of the cardiac cases in the country do not require surgery but only early diagnosis and treatment. Only two percent of the Indian population go in for either angiogram or surgery, Dr. Shetty said. "If we can provide the diagnosis free and at a faster pace we will be saving several lives," he added.

The cardiac van is expected to commence its journey from Bangalore to Sringeri and cover all the districts in the State. At each district it will be stationed for two-days in the premises of a government hospital or primary health centre. The Rotary and Lions Clubs would provide the information about the service to the rural masses. The mobile van will have one cardiologist, doctors and nurses and a technician. Plans are also underway to provide the service to the slums dwellers in and around Bangalore.

Around 200 patients can be treated every day. Around 50-100 patients can undergo the echocardiography colour Doppler test which costs between Rs.600 and 1,200 at other diagnostic centres.

The equipment has been purchased for Rs. 75 lakh from GE Medical Systems who have given 50 per cent concession. To run the vehicle the hospital will have to spend Rs. 1 lakh a month, informed Dr. Shetty.

"The power of information technology can reach the rural masses through such specialised health care offerings, informed Dinesh, co-founder director, Infosys who runs a charitable trust- 'Ashraya Hastha Trust' that donated the van and equipment to Narayana Hrudayalaya.

Dr. Devi Shetty plans to have around 10 mobile vans if the funding comes and provide the facility to all the southern states in the country. "We hope to provide the diagnostic facility access to more than three-fourths Karnataka in six months time," said Dr. Shetty.