This groundbreaking service of detecting the accurate location of the patient in need and providing ambulance service underscores the Manipal hospital’s bid to transforming Bengaluru into a Heart Smart City, reports  THE HEALTH PIONEER

In a bid to save lives and provide first aid faster during medical emergencies, Manipal Hospitals has launched an advanced SOS QR code through which one can avail ambulance service at the earliest in times of distress.

Manipal Hospitals has strategically positioned the QR codes at key traffic intersections, apartments, and a few vehicles for easy access during emergencies.

Patients or their caregivers can in an instant scan these codes using their Android and iOS mobile phones. The QR code will seamlessly provide real-time, patient location information to the nearest Manipal Ambulance Response Service and 108 Ambulance team.

These ambulances have been strategically stationed at various key points throughout the city so that they can transport patients to the nearest hospital. Manipal Hospitals has also launched a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education programme for Bengalureans and proposed to the state government to make CPR education mandatory in colleges and schools to make the community capable of providing critical assistance during medical emergencies.

Through these initiatives, the multi-specialty healthcare chain said, it aims to ensure that every critical patient receives timely assistance during the 'golden hour'. In medical circles, the 'golden hour' is referred to as the period of time immediately after an adverse health event such as a heart attack or stroke or traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical and surgical treatment would prevent death.

As part of its health awareness programme, Manipal Hospitals has also transformed traffic signals into heart-shaped symbols. These traffic signals display SOS QR codes for easy access to the ambulance service.

The heart-shaped signal at the traffic junction is meant to be a reminder to everyone that every life counts and that one should not neglect one's own heart health.

This trend was set by introducing red heart signals last year at key traffic junctions, which was expanded to 37 traffic signals this year as well, with the support of Bengaluru Traffic Police and BBMP.

The event was inaugurated by Home Minister G Parameshwara and Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao along with Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman of Manipal hospitals.

As per data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 47 per cent of cardiac arrest fatalities occur prior to a patient's arrival at the hospital. The key to saving lives during heart attacks lies in delivering prompt assistance such as CPR during the 'golden hour'.

Speaking about the newly launched initiatives, Dr Ballal said that at the time of an accident or a medical emergency, one just needs to scan the QR code and one of the ambulances of the hospital would get activated and rush to the spot as early as possible.

"We have about 35 ambulances in our system in Bengaluru, which may not be enough. So, we have also sought the help of the '108' ambulance service so that there are enough ambulances to address the issue in case of emergency. We also want to educate as many number of people as possible about CPR so that we can save lives," he said.

Home Minister Parameshwara said he will make CPR training mandatory in police training academies in the state and also take efforts to include it in school and college curricula. "We have more than 12 police training academies in Karnataka and we will include CPR as part of our police training programme," he said.

Health Minister Gundu Rao said that in emergency situations, the quicker the patient is brought to the hospital, the better the chances of recovery increases. "We are also working to improve 108 ambulance service facilities and will push for giving CPR training to more and more people, as it can save more lives," he added.

Guj Govt takes lead in heart diseases treatment

The Gujarat Government has spent approximately Rs 1614 crore on the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease patients in last five years even as it included the heart transplant procedure under AB PMJAY-MA.

Thus, making Gujarat the first and only state in the country to do so

On World Heart Day on September 29, the Gujarat Government shared that more than 2 lakh 95 thousand heart disease patients have availed free treatment under AB PMJAY-MA (Ayushman Bharat-Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana-Chief Minister Amrutam) in the last five years.

When considering the number of claims submitted by these beneficiaries, the figure exceeds 2 lakh 99 thousand.

Under AB PMJAY-MA, a range of diagnostic and treatment procedures for heart diseases are available. These include diagnostic angiogram, Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), Valve Procedures, Pacemaker Implantation, AICD - Automatic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator, Device Closure, femoral bypass and Ventricular pacing, etc.

It is well-known that the diagnosis and treatment of heart-related diseases are quite expensive. In such a situation, the Gujarat government has implemented the Prime Minister's Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the state in such an effective manner that the state's underprivileged families no longer need to wander extensively in search of heart-related check-ups and treatment.

In a significant move to provide an additional facility to serious heart disease patients from poor and middle-class families, the State Government has also decided to include the heart transplant procedure under AB PMJAY-MA, making it the first and only state in the country to take this step.