Leading Cardiologist Says 'Cardiac Centres Should be Located Every 40 Kms'

A leading cardiac surgeon has said that cardiac care centres should be located within 30 to 40 kms of every citizen for timely action in case of emergencies. "After a heart attack, there is a golden period of two hours within which, if proper action is taken, then the heart patient can be saved. Otherwise there is a possibility of permanent damage to the heart muscle. And therefore everybody should have access to a cardiac care centre situated within 30 to 40 kms," Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, managing director of Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH) Hospitals, said at a media conference here.

Raghuvanshi, who announced NH Group's partnership with Westbank Hospital to open a comprehensive cardiac care unit at its hospital in the neighbouring Howrah district, said it was a "first step" in making cardiac facilities accessible at the district level.

"This is a first step that will enable people from the districts to get the best of care in a cost effective manner. We will provide the infrastructure to ensure the cardiac unit becomes a state-of-the-art facility," said Raghuvanshi.

According to him, the cost of operations will go down as more number of people can avail of premier facilities.

"There will be a steady fall in the cost as the number of people getting operations done go up," said Raghuvanshi.

Source-IANS