ECG representative image.
Credit: iStock photo
Mangaluru: The life of a woman in her 60s who suffered from a heart attack at Bogase, a remote village in Chikkamagaluru district was saved, thanks to the CAD Foundation’s satellite ECG network system.
CAD Foundation Trust founder Dr Padmanabha Kamath said the woman was living alone in the village which does not have mobile connectivity and has no access to health care.
After suffering from severe chest pain, she walked in search of a mobile signal to contact her children, who lived in Banakal, 45-50 kilometres away from the village where she resided.
Upon reaching an area with network coverage, she informed her family, who rushed to her aid. She was taken to the nearest hospital, where her ECG was performed and transmitted via the CAD Foundation’s satellite ECG network.
The network flagged the heart attack, triggering an alert and facilitating her referral to Mangaluru for emergency treatment.
"By the time she reached late on Saturday night, she was in distress, both physically and financially. Upon learning about her case, I immediately attended to her and performed an emergency angioplasty under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which alleviated her financial burden," said Dr Kamath.
Reflecting on the incident, Dr Kamath said, “What gave me the deepest satisfaction was not just performing the angioplasty, but being able to assist someone from such an isolated community. Her courage and resilience were truly inspiring.”
The case underscores the transformative role of the CAD Foundation in extending critical healthcare to underserved regions, reaffirming its mission to make life-saving interventions accessible to those who need them the most, Dr Kamath added.
The CAD Foundation Trust led by Dr Padmanabha Kamath has been handing over ECG machines to PHCs, Jan Aushadhi centres, Community health centres, taluk hospitals, and Gram Panchayats in various parts of Karnataka since 2018. Recently, 64 PHCs including Namma Clinics in Dakshina Kannada were given ECG through the foundation.