Overcoming heart attacks: AP, ICMR to provide Rs 40,000 injection for free

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will provide a STEMI injection worth Rs 40,000 free of cost, to save people from heart attacks during the golden hour. This pilot project will start on September 29 in Chittoor, Guntur, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam.

The first hour after a heart attack is known as ‘the golden hour.’ Taking appropriate action within this first hour can save a patient’s life.

The Department of Health has launched the ST-Elevation Myocardial Infraction (STEMI) project, aimed at reducing the rising death rate due to heart-related diseases. If successful, the services would be made available across the state from 2024, in a hub-and-spoke model in collaboration with Aarogyasri network hospitals.

What is STEMI injection?

Patients suffering from ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) will be given Streptokinase injection in a vein to break down clots, in cases of myocardial infarction (heart attack), pulmonary embolism, and arterial thromboembolism.

In rural areas, ANMs, family doctors and community health centres use the system to create awareness among people about heart attack symptoms. A person suffering from cardiac arrest is identified and taken to the nearest spokes centre by a 108 ambulance. Subsequently, the patient is referred to district hospitals or teaching hospitals that have cath labs.

38 lakh AP residents suffer from heart issues

Surveys reveal that most non-communicable diseases (NCD) deaths are due to heart-related problems. It is found that 32 per cent of NCD deaths are due to heart attacks in Andhra Pradesh. About 38 lakh people in the state are suffering from heart disease.

In view of the increasing number of deaths due to heart attacks, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has issued orders to expand the cardiology and cardiovascular services for the public. As a part of this, necessary measures are being taken to make the injection available for cardiac treatment in medical colleges, PHCs and district hospitals across the state.

Under this project, the state government has created 94 new medical posts to run the programme smoothly. Training will be given to the medical staff at the village level for making initial treatment available in the nearby PHCs, giving free injections to the patient during the golden hour, and subsequently moving the patient to the district hub hospital with cath labs within 100 km and conducting the necessary tests and surgery.

Govt begins recruitment

The state government has also taken up the necessary facilities and recruitment of staff in selected hospitals. The cath labs were constructed at a cost of Rs 120 crores. SVRR GGH Guntur, GGH Kurnool, and KGH Visakhapatnam have been set up as four hubs and 61 spokes have been set up in these districts to make heart care services available to common people and rural people as well.

Under the pilot project, 13 spokes centres have been set up in Chittoor, 16 in Kurnool, 15 in Guntur and 17 in Visakhapatnam.