Fresh lease of life at low cost...
Beeraiah is a native of Hanagodu, Hunsur taluk. An agriculture labourer by profession and father of three children, Beeraiah developed serious chest pain when he was working in the field and was admitted at Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in K R Hospital premises in city.
Fearing something bad had happened to him, Beeraiah was sure there was no way he could come out alive since heart surgeries involve huge amounts of money. For, there was no way his family could afford to have him treated by paying exorbitant costs.
Experts at the Institute performed angiogram on him, and Beeraiah was asked to rest for a month. Confidence slowly crept back and when he was discharged, Beeraiah was a new man. He could manage things on his own. City Herald caught up with him when he had come for post operative check- up on Thursday. Praising the doctors at the Institute, Beeraiah thanked them profusely and said the treatment didn’t leave his family hungry and starving. “I am sure a private hospital would have sucked us dry. But for this hospital, I would not have been alive today,” he says.
Another patient Abdul Rasheed had come all the way from Channapatna to get treatment and to undergo routine medical check up. He was being treated for heart ailment in Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre at Bangalore since 1996. “Since Mysore is much closer to me and the same facility is available here, it is easier and more economical for me to come here,” he says.
Likewise several of the patients visiting the centre shared their experiences about the centre and they are very much happy for establishing Jayadeva unit in Mysore.
At a time where patients seem like moneybags to private hospitals, the Mysore unit of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre is a boon to many. In fact, many feel it is a blessing from God, more than being just a hospital.
As many as 150 persons are being treated as out patients daily at this centre after it started functioning from last August. Patients from Mysore and adjoining districts such as Mandya, Kodagu, Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagar and others come here often for treatment. Interestingly, patients residing closer to Bangalore, are availing treatment at Mysore unit, since the traffic congestion and cost of living is not too bad here, as it is, in Bangalore.
About the unit
The 75-bed unit with state-of-the-art lab, which opened over four months ago, was set up with the main intention of providing affordable treatment to people in the region. Facilities such as cardiac cathlab, TMT and ECG are top-of-the-order. Except for bypass and open heart surgery, all other surgeries such as angiogram, angioplasty, balloon angioplasty is performed at the unit at present.
Three cardiologists with assistance of four post graduate students are taking care of the patients. There is adequate nursing staff, para-medical staff along with security personnel at the hospital. The unit is offering is free treatment to people with BPL cards, provided by the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, and also to Yashwaswini card holders issued by recognised co-operative institutions in the State.
The unit is also offering various packages of tests at Rs 1500 for people with APL cards and also to those belonging to middle income groups. These tests include blood, urine investigations, x -ray, scanning, TMT and echo-cardiogram.
Future plan
Speaking to City Herald, Cardiologist Dr Harsha Basappa said that the Institute has decided to increase the number of beds from 75 to 150 beds. A decision in this connection has been taken by the higher authorities of the hospital keeping in view of good response from the people of the region recently. Besides, steps have been taken to set up sophisticated operation theatre to perform open heart surgery and bypass surgery in Mysore unit. Plans are afoot to establish fullfledged Cardiocare hospital in Mysore.