Karnataka: Cardiology at Doorsteps gets a dedicated website in Mangaluru

MANGALURU: Cardiology at Doorstep Foundation, an initiative led by Dr Padmanabh Kamath, professor and HOD cardiology, KMC Mangaluru, launched its website on Saturday.
Cardiology at Doorsteps is a flagship WhatsApp group initiated by Dr Padmanabh Kamath in February 2018, to help patients in rural and remote parts of the country.
So far, about 30,000 ECGs have been posted in two Whatsapp groups and more than 5,000 heart attacks diagnosed. The group has saved more than 10,000 lives through these initiatives and has been instrumental in installing 232 ECG machines in rural health centres and Jan Aushadhi Kendras, Dr Kamath said.
Dr Kamath told TOI, “Our mission is to save lives with the help of modern IT infrastructure and by providing medical equipment to rural areas. During this Covid pandemic, we have seen so many bizarre things happen around us. We have seen people getting alienated because of quarantine rules or isolating themselves for the fear of Covid, especially the underprivileged and the elderly patients. All this has led to greater disasters due to delay in diagnosis and treatment. With the launch of the website and with 24 hours of Cardiac helpline as an active interface, we intend to circumvent all these obstacles. I could not have launched it on a better day than our Independence Day. The whole concept of liberating our patients from dependence on others and giving them independence and freedom is our motto.”
Nearly, 2,500 members are part of the Whatsapp group that covers 20 districts of Karnataka and there are two separate groups for overseas patients and jawans. By the end of this year, the aim is to install 250 ECG machines, cover three more districts including those bordering Kerala, and reach out to at least 50 lakh people.
“On Friday, we distributed Covid essentials kits to most of our CAD ECG machine donors aged above 65. Our prime concern is our senior citizens and their well-being,” Dr Kamath said.