Karnataka: Over 50,000 people screened under heart attack management programme

STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction), a heart attack management programme that was launched in Karnataka in April 2023 has screened over 50,000 people so far within four months.

The programme has helped in the timely screening and management of over 1,684 critical heart attack cases in just four months.

This programme is being implemented with the aim to control and reduce increasing incidents of heart attacks among people of all age groups. This programme has helped in preventing heart attacks among many people, particularly in rural areas where are no doctors or facilities to perform angioplasty and handle heart attack cases.

STEMI is a mass healthcare program that is being implemented in Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha, Telangana and Karnataka.

This programme is being implemented on a hub-and-spoke model in 15 districts across Karnataka and it is expected to be expanded to other districts in the next two months.

Around 45 health facilities at taluk, district and general hospitals across Karnataka will be upgraded as spokes for STEMI detection and thrombolysis.

Poor lifestyle habits, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, unhealthy diet, anxiety, stress and lack of exercise are seen as the main causes for increase in the number of heart attack cases among people across all age groups.