Srinagar: To reduce deaths by heart attacks, doctors posted in rural and urban areas of Kashmir have come together and created an online network to treat patients.
Disturbed by the increasing number of heart attack deaths mainly contributed by delay in treatment, two well-known cardiologists have started an online ‘Save Heart Initiative’ group on WhatsApp to stay connected with doctors posted across the peripheries of Kashmir.
“By the time a heart attack patient from the peripheries reaches a tertiary care hospital in Srinagar, he or she has suffered 70 per cent damage to the heart muscles. Then, it is very difficult to save the patient’s life,” said well-known cardiologist Dr Imran Hafeez of SMHS Hospital.
To minimise the damage to the heart, the cardiologists are guiding doctors in the peripheries on the treatment to be provided to the patients, Hafeez said.
Ghulam Rasool Wani, 55, of Taingan, Pampore, in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, suffered a heart attack during late night on December 17. Wani was rushed to Sub-District Hospital, Pampore, where doctors led by Dr Firdous Masoodi shared electrocardiogram and other diagnoses with the experts in the ‘Save Heart Initiative’ group. Doctors found two dangerous clots in his vessels, which had blocked blood flowand oxygen. Cardiologists advised immediate thrombolysis which dissolved dangerous clots in Wani’s blood vessels and prevented damage to tissues and organs.
After facilitating the proper flow of oxygen to the heart muscles, Wani was referred to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, for advanced cardiological treatment. Wani’s family last week issued public gratitude through newspapers to the doctors for saving his life.
Like Wani, several other heart attack patients from the north and south Kashmir have been saved through online sharing of their diagnosis and line of treatment.
Hafeez, along with Dr Muzaffar Zargar, created the online group in the second week of December and brought together doctors posted in far-flung areas to prepare immediate treatment for heart attack patients.
“In past five days, we have managed 25 heart attack cases. We are surprised by the effectiveness of the treatment and success rate,” said Dr Nasir Shams, who is a part of the initiative.
Online group
Doctors posted in rural and urban areas of Kashmir have come together and created an online network to treat patients.
Tribune News