Heart attack surge: Karnataka faces severe shortage of heart specialists and public hospitals

Karnataka’s public health system is facing a worrying crisis as a severe shortage of heart specialists and dedicated cardiac hospitals threatens access to timely and affordable heart care for thousands across the state.

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Currently, there are only seven government hospitals offering cardiac treatment in Karnataka: Ballari Medical College and Research Centre (Ballari), Bangalore Medical College and Research Centre (Bengaluru), Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (Bengaluru), Karnataka Medical College and Research Centre (Hubballi), Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (Hassan), Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (Raichur), and Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences (Shivamogga).

Shockingly, several districts still lack even a single government-run cardiac hospital, forcing patients to travel long distances, often to Bengaluru, for critical surgeries and treatment. Even among the existing centres, only two hospitals in Bengaluru, Sri Jayadeva Institute and Bangalore Medical College are fully equipped and recognized as high-quality cardiac care centres.

The statistics reveal the scale of the problem: Karnataka has only 1936 government cardiac beds statewide, supported by just 154 cardiologists, of whom 35 are cardio-thoracic and vascular surgeons (CTVS). Alarmingly, Bengaluru alone accounts for 138 cardiologists, with 34 CTVS specialists concentrated in the capital. This means patients needing complex heart surgeries almost inevitably have to depend on Bengaluru-based hospitals, creating overcrowding and long waiting times.