STEMI-India, a non-governmental organisation formed by cardiac specialists now gears up to chip in its expertise to put in place systems of care appropriate to treat heart attack patients. The project is in collaboration with the state governments, health insurance for BPL & Yeshaswini, besides GVK EMRI ambulance system. In Karnataka, four zones are identified :Bengaluru covering Bengaluru rural, Kolar and chikaballapur, Mysuru and Kalburgi as pilot project. In its second phase Mangaluru and other districts will be covered.
 
The management of heart attacks is time dependent and we have seen that rural and semi-urban areas are not well equipped to handle the cases. Recent advances in the management of STEMI globally have shown that prompt treatment can save lives and restore normal cardiac function. With over 3 million heart attacks reported annually in India, for this treatment to be successful, time and teamwork are critical, said Dr. C N Manjunath, director Jayadeva Institue of Cardiology and course director STEM India.
 
Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology will now play a pivotal role in this programme. We need to sensitize, synchronize, and coordinate to fast track treatments. Many of our taluk hospitals and primary health centres (PHCs) lack the expertise. Another stark reality is the road congestion and traffic stalling on-time patient transfers to healthcare facilities. We will use an ECG to transmit the reports via telemedicine or mobile technology from the ambulances itself or the nearest point of care to save the patient, he added.
 
In India, 20 percent succumb with no access to care. Training will be provided in heart attack management with clot dissolving therapy which saves 15 percent of cases and angioplasty. “Our intent is to focus on family physicians and general practitioners who have a phobia to treat heart attack patients and refer them to hospitals which is not correct. The fact is that any qualified physician can administer care to a heart attack patient and save him going by the advanced blood clot dissolving drugs, stated Dr. Manjunath.
 
In addition, utilizing tele-cardiology to transmit ECG’s to hand-held devices have helped STEMI India overcome many of the manpower and infrastructure inadequacies. Unique STEMI devices have been developed in collaboration with its technology and software partners: Maestros Electronics & Telecommunications Systems, Mumbai have transformed heart attack care.
 
Three years ago the STEMI India programme took off in Tamil Nadu, through four clusters in partnership with its state government, ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and ambulances from the GVK-EMRI. It successfully showed the feasibility and effectiveness of this model of care. This has now been endorsed by the World Heart Federation as the ideal model for low and middle income countries globally, said Dr. Thomas Alexander, director STEMI-India and head, Division of Cardiology, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital, Coimbatore.
 
“We treated 2,470 patients over three years. The Telangana government will not implement this too,” said Dr Ajit Mullasari, director of STEMI India and director Madras Medical Mission, Chennai.