In case of a heart attack, every second is precious. A delay of a few minutes can make the difference between life and death. Now in Punjab, this ongoing battle with time is being won continuously, because under the Chief Minister Health Scheme of Bhagwant Mann Government, fast and cashless angioplasty services are providing this emergency treatment to the patients on time when needed.
health card system Under this, the process of investigation and emergency angioplasty of patients reaching government and empaneled private hospitals is being completed expeditiously, without any delay in payment before treatment. This change is proving to be decisive in saving precious lives especially during the golden hour i.e. the first 60 minutes after a heart attack.
According to the World Health Organization, about 17.9 million people die every year due to heart diseases. Among these, a large number are such cases where delay in treatment proves fatal. The health system of Punjab is now actively dealing with this challenge.
According to the State Health Agency, a total of 5,054 cardiac surgeries have been performed under the health scheme during the last few months. These included 5,000 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures, including diagnostic angiograms, while peripheral angioplasty was performed in 54 cases.
The total cost of these treatments was approximately Rs 49.6 crore, with PTCA procedures being the highest both in terms of number and total expenditure.
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said that the impact of this scheme is now clearly visible. He said, more patients are now surviving even those conditions which earlier were considered almost life-threatening. In such critical times, the speed of treatment due to the health card system is becoming a lifesaver for the state.
Cardiology departments of hospitals are being rapidly adapted to the new needs. Emergency protocols are being streamlined in such a way that potential heart attack patients can be immediately examined and necessary treatment can be provided to them without getting entangled in administrative action.
Dr. Saurabh Sharma, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiology, Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, said the health card is helping people get timely treatment. The hesitation that used to exist earlier regarding the cost of treatment has now reduced to a great extent. Earlier, many families were confused about the cost of the treatment, due to which there was a delay in giving approval for the procedure. Dr. Sharma further said that with the availability of cashless facility, this hindrance has almost ended.
This change is clearly visible in the districts also. Earlier, patients had to face dangerous delays due to being referred to hospitals in big cities. Now, with more hospitals empaneled under the scheme and equipped with better facilities, many centers have been able to start angioplasty without long distance referrals.
