CK Birla Hospitals BM Birla Heart Institute is reaching out to Bengal’s countryside, providing them easy and inexpensive access to cardiac care consultation through Tele ECG devices.

Addressing the perennial problem of poor infrastructure in rural healthcare, CK Birla Hospitals- BMB has extended its helping hand by  distributing Tele ECG machines to primary healthcare centres. Tele ECG is a smart device whose proto-type was first developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). This smart device is armed with unique artificial intelligence which makes it unlike any other ECG machines, a spokesperson of the CK Birla Hospitals on May 27 said.

The ECG report generated from this device is instantly shared with doctors via mobile phones, saving the required time for necessary consultation. Through this initiative doctors of CK Birla Hopsitals- BMB will be in constant touch with paramedics and doctors placed in remote areas who are operating Tele ECG.This compact device has in-built intelligence to distinguish emergency cases which need immediate attention. Expert cardiac specialist from BMB will act upon those messages and prescribe essential treatment for the patients accordingly.

Uttam Bose, Group CEO at CK Birla Hospitals said, “Our glorious legacy since last 48 years has stood for our commitment towards patient care through clinical excellence. Being a research oriented hospital, we endeavour to innovate more robust and state of the art medical technologies and drive greater awareness around it so as to impact the lives of millions." "Our new initiative is focused on giving back to those people who don't have easy access to advanced medical treatment.

In Eastern India, we are the first hospital to generate Tele ECG based treatment for the community. Keeping patient-centricity in mind we have incorporated this cutting-edge technology which enhances access to quality healthcare for people living in distant corners," he said. We have established an ecosystem where timely knowledge sharing will equip physicians located in districts to diagnose, treat and cure critical cardiac ailments.

We hope to reach out to more people and aid them in every way possible!” Mr Bose said. Dr Santanu Chattopadhayay, COO and  Group Medical Director at CK Birla Hospitals said, “In India, rural healthcare faces the biggest challenge in reaching out to skilled health care providers. Often cardiac patients located in far-flung areas find it difficult to travel for tertiary healthcare services due to great distances or high expenses."

"At BMB, we have found a solution to that problem with this portable ECG device, which we are delivering to several primary healthcare centres who function independently. Post ECG the patients will have free access to our consultation over the call. In case of critical patients, we will ask them to come to BMB for full check-up. Additionally, we are also open to possibilities of collaboration with government’s primary healthcare bodies,” Dr Chattopadhayay said.

In India, one person dies of heart attack every 33 seconds. In absence of superior healthcare facilities, rural India sees highest number of heart attack deaths. Last year a global study conducted by ‘The International Congestive Heart Failure (INTER-CHF-2017)’ showed that India leads in maximum number of heart failure deaths with 23 percent heart patients not surviving.

With more than 70 percent population living in rural areas where low level of health facilities leads to higher mortality rate, CK Birla Hospitals wants to change the situation for better by implementing technological advancement and clinical know-how. By means of this initiative CK Birla Hospitals aims to minimize the patient-to- primary care physician ratio in rural areas via technology and bridge the gap in healthcare services.