Actor Puneet Rajkumar
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As many as 10 patients, who reported with chest pain and related symptoms, got a new lease of life in taluk hospitals in Karnataka over the last 10 days, thanks to early diagnosis and treatment under the State’s Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi Yojane. Of the 12 patients, who reported with symptoms of heart attack, doctors were able to save the lives of 10 by administering Tenecteplase injection, a first-line treatment for this cardiac condition.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the doctors were able to detect if their condition was critical and administer this critical injection.
Hub-and-spoke model
The State Health Department named Karnataka’s heart attack (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction – STEMI) management project at taluk level as Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi scheme last year. The Kannada film star died following a heart attack in 2021. The project launched to avoid delay in providing diagnosis and treatment to heart attack patients in rural areas is being implemented on a hub-and-spoke model.
Beneficiaries under the Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi Yojane so far
Patients screened: 1,65,707
ECGs taken: 1,71,781
Patients diagnosed with STEMI: 1,649 (251 of these are aged below 45)
Patients referred to cardiology superspeciality hub hospitals for further treatment: 704
Patients who required angioplasty: 498
Patients who required bypass surgery: 7
Remaining patients are on medical management
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said as many as 85 hospitals at the district and taluk level are functioning as ‘spoke’ centres and 10 ‘hubs’ were created in 16 super-specialty hospitals, including Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research.
How it works
“Anyone who has symptoms of chest pain can visit the ‘spoke’ centres and get an ECG done immediately. Using AI, doctors can detect if their condition is critical within four or five minutes. If the patient is in critical condition, he/she will be administered the expensive Tenecteplase injection for free,” the Minister, who reviewed the project on Thursday, told The Hindu. The injection costs ₹28,000 in the private sector. “Based on the feedback, we are now extending the project to all taluk hospitals,” he said.
Under the project, from March 20, 2023, to May 31, 2024, a total of 1,65,707 patients (who presented with chest pain and related symptoms) were screened for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 1,71,781 ECGs were taken. Of these, 1,649 were diagnosed with STEMI. “The STEMI mortality rate was around 18% in March 2023 (project initiation phase). This significantly declined to 15% in May 2024. The goal is to bring this down to less than 10%,” a senior official in charge of the project said.
With proper interventions, 84% of those diagnosed with STEMI (1,381 patients) were treated till May this year. All STEMI critical patients are being followed for up to six months to check their health condition, post-discharge, which in turn is helping in the reduction of the morbidity burden of the State, the official explained.
State’s CVD burden
As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, India State-level Disease Burden Initiative, 2016, CVD and STEMI result in the highest number of deaths (over 35% in the age group of 40 and above) in Karnataka. With a population of 6.41 crore in Karnataka, an estimated 96,150 patients are affected by severe heart attacks causing sudden deaths every year.
“Most of these lives can be saved by ensuring early diagnosis of the heart attack at taluk hospitals followed by a timely (golden hour) treatment,” the Minister added.
