Journalism of Courage
Within a year of its implementation, Maharashtra government’s STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) project to minimise the number of premature deaths due to cardiovascular disease has helped in the quick diagnosis of over 2,000 heart attacks each within an astonishing turnaround time of less than six minutes.
Nearly 2.5 lakh people have been screened using the Artificial Intelligence-assisted technology, which allows patients to receive treatment promptly, Dr Padmaja Jogewar, Joint Director (NCD Cell), Directorate of Health Services, Maharashtra, who was in Pune on Wednesday told The Indian Express.
The objective of the project is to enable rapid diagnosis of heart disease in all government health care centres in Maharashtra along with the timely treatment with the team of cardiologists at the tertiary care facilities, reduce the time taken for diagnosis and treatment, and thus save lives, Dr Jogewar said, while hinting that the programme will be extended to all districts in the state this year.
The Maharashtra government launched the STEMI Maharashtra programme recognised by the National Health Mission (NHM) in February 2021.
According to experts, Ischemic Heart Disease increases the probability of heart attacks, the most common being ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) causing premature deaths as well as disabilities in people.
“Till date over 2,50,000 ECGs have been conducted, and over 6,100 STEMIs detected. All the services are covered under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPAY) scheme,” she said.
On the occasion of World Heart Day which is observed on September 29, Dr Jogewar appealed to all to take the pledge to make every heart healthy by embracing a healthy lifestyle, quitting tobacco and engaging in regular physical activity.
The STEMI Maharashtra Programme was launched in 12 districts – Akola, Aurangabad, Jalna, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Ratnagiri, Solapur, Wardha and Thane.
A total of 145 primary health facilities that include rural hospitals, sub-district hospitals and district hospitals are upgraded as spokes for STEMI detection and thrombolysis and are linked with 38 hubs – as the nearest tertiary care facility equipped with a CATH LAB facility for treatment, Dr Jogewar said.
“Heart attacks are the leading cause of death and disability in India, accounting for 1.5 – 3 million deaths a year. Recent reports suggest an increase in cardiovascular diseases in Maharashtra among men between the age group of 30 – 40 years and in women in the age group of 40 – 60 years,” she said.
In India, the average wait time for patients with ongoing heart attacks is 360 minutes, a far cry from the golden hour of 90 minutes, resulting in high mortality rates.
State health officials said that to combat heart diseases and provide the entire state of Maharashtra with cardiac care they tied up with Tricog Health Services Pvt Ltd, a Bengaluru-based healthcare technology company, to set up a system of care for heart attacks.
The project involves spreading awareness to patients with symptoms of chest pain, breathlessness, and palpitation, to approach the nearest government health facility without any delay and setting up a system of rapid detection using a cloud-connected 12 Lead ECG with a round-the-clock interpretation of the cases within a few minutes by medical experts, backed by AI along with a digital platform for care coordination and analytics, Dr Charit Bhograj, CEO, Tricog Health, said in a statement Wednesday.
A system of STEMI management, STEMI Protocol has been created by the state steering committee comprising eminent cardiologists, administrators and experts and all agencies involved in the implementation of the programme to ensure timely transfer and treatment of patients with STEMI.
