The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) launched a pilot project — Mission DELHI (Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative) — in a range of 3 km around All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where people may soon be able to call (toll free numbers 14430 and 1800111044) for a motorbike-borne emergency medical assistance unit in the eventuality of heart attack or chest pain.
The project has institutional support from Cardiology & Emergency Medicine departments of AIIMS and funding from the ICMR.
Under the project, a pair of motorcycle-borne trained paramedic and nurse would be the first responders for treating heart attack patients, stated the ICMR. On getting the call, the pair would rush to the spot, gather basic information on his or her medical history, conduct a quick medical examination, take the ECG of the patient and establish a virtual connect with the cardiologists at AIIMS, and deliver medical advice and treatment.
A release issued by the council added that while the emergency treatment is being provided, a CATS ambulance will arrive and take the patient for further treatment. Even as the patient is on way to the hospital, qualified doctors posted round the clock at the control centre at AIIMS will evaluate the data received from the nurses to establish a further course of treatment as soon as the patient reaches the hospital.
Reaching aid faster
The idea of the project (motorcycle borne) is to reach with medical help much faster, given the high-density traffic conditions in the city where the movement of four-wheeler ambulances becomes difficult.
At the launch of the project, director-general ICMR Prof Balram Bhargava explained the heart is like a room that pumps blood to the entire body. “Before the blood is pumped to the body, it is pumped to the walls of the heart through three pipes [coronary arteries]. If any of these pipes are clogged by a clot, the tissues in that part of the heart will die. If the heart walls are damaged, they cannot be repaired. Clot busters are almost equal to angioplasty. Clot busters can be given within a short time after a heart attack,” he said.
“In this project, the clot buster will be given very soon even at home. Mission Delhi focuses on the importance of timely response and doorstep care saving the heart in time is the philosophy behind the programme,” he added.
AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said as there is a need for strategy change to save cardio patients the pilot project is started. “We also need to see the shortcomings of this pilot project if any and then overcome those for starting a nation-wide project,” he added.