Rural Cardiac Program – Even Rural Heart Deserves the Best

India has made rapid strides in the health sector since independence. However, various eye opening data from NFHS(National Family Health Survey) clearly indicate that access to healthcare still remains a challenge in India and in particular rural India. It has been a paradox that though 80% of India’s population lives in semi urban and rural areas, almost all the advanced healthcare facilities are established in urban areas. Many times these patients in rural areas don’t seek proper medical treatment due to deterring factors like the cost of travelling and staying in cities which adds to the cost of treatment itself. This results in an increase in the morbidity and mortality of the population and a long term drain on resources. Indian government and Health care providers have yet to recognize this and don’t have adequate programmes to deal with it.

The solution will be an effort to offer cardiac care nearer to the patient’s door steps in rural Maharashtra and Gujarat. HHF will Offer a unique service of Mobile Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Mobile ICU, Emergency Ambulance for cardiac patients in semi urban and rural areas of Maharashtra & Gujarat. The sophisticated cardiac cathlab and 4 bedded Mobile ICU will be housed in a 40 feet trailer with an emergency ambulance, which will be bacteria free, air conditioned and can be taken to any part of the state, on regular roads.

This is a unique mobile hospital program that seeks to address problems of mobility, accessibility and availability of primary health care in remote rural areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat. This initiative of Hamdulay Heart Foundation will further simplify and reduces the cost of health care. Not all patients who have heart problems require bypass surgery or angioplasty. The angiogram can clearly tell the severity and extent of the heart problem. Patients with milder disease can be managed medically at their home town. Only patients with severe disease need to come to a city for advanced treatment. As a result, death due to heart ailments can be reduced drastically in rural areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

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