As many as 225 patients, all from weaker sections of society, got a new lease of life thanks to angioplasty workshops conducted by Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Bengaluru and its branches in Mysuru and Kalaburagi.
The procedures were conducted in collaboration with Govindraju Subramani Heart foundation and Medtronic Vascular Division, Santarosa, U.S. The angioplasties were conducted over a period of seven days from June 12.
Most of the beneficiaries are farmers, daily wagers, street vendors, autorickshaw drivers, garment workers, and senior citizens from Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar. Stents were given free of cost to all the patients.
According to institute director C.N. Manjunath, performing 225 angioplasties in a span of seven days is technically demanding. It was possible because the institute has 17 cath labs, 120 full-time cardiologists, and adequate number of technical and nursing staff, he said.
Of the 225 patients, 25% were below 50 years and 22% were women. The youngest patient was a 31-year-old tempo driver and the oldest a 85-year-old woman.
“While 50% of the beneficiaries are diabetic, 53% are suffering from hypertension. Nearly 36% are smokers and more than 30% have high cholesterol levels,” he said. “Heart attack-related diseases are no longer a disease of the elite class and elderly population. It is also affecting the younger age group, women, and the rural poor,” the doctor added.
