This doctor plans to install ECGs in 50 gram panchayats across Karnataka

Mucchur, Padumarnad, Mennabettu and Puthige GPs in Udupi and Dakshina Kananda districts have already received the ECG machines under the CAD's project

The Cardiology at Doorstep (CAD) Foundation, which has embarked on a mission to bridge gaps in rural cardiac healthcare, realised its dream by setting up ECG machines at four gram panchayats (GPs) in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts recently.

Mucchur, Padumarnad, Mennabettu and Puthige GPs in Udupi and Dakshina Kananda districts received the ECG machines under the CAD's project — Gram Panchayat Anganwadi Project (GAP). The first of its kind project in the country, GAP focusses on the health of the rural population.

"We intend to add more and hopefully cross 50 gram panchayats - anganwadi centres in the rural areas, by the end of this year under GAP," said Dr Kamath, who heads the CAD initiative.

Dr Kamath said all the GPs have good buildings and space for conducting ECG facilities. The GPs are already playing a pivotal role in the fight against Covid-19. Thus, we decided to strengthen the healthcare sector in remote areas through gram panchayats, he said.

Elaborating on the project, Dr Kamath said a panchayat development officer (PDO) and a GP member, designated by GP president, will carry out the ECG on those who approach the GP.

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The ECG report will be shared in the CAD WhatsApp groups. Cardiologists, including Dr Kamath, will read the report and guide patients to the nearest hospital for treatment. GPs with more than 10,000 population and 'pro-active' GP members had been shortlisted for the project. Three ECG machines had been installed at the anganwadi centres in Ampar and Iruvail and at a health sub-centre in Kanthavara.

"Tuesday is a great day in my life," said Dr Kamath, who is also serving as a professor and head of the Cardiology department at the KMC in Mangaluru.

"Having spent most of my formative years and childhood education in the villages, I fully understood what this project means to a villager. "CAD GAP, with its robust network, local connect and direct beneficiary transfer of its benefits, has the potential to become reliable," Dr Padmanabha said.

"By installing ECG machines in 50 GPs in five districts, a population of about 15 lakh will be covered," he said and added that donors had already pledged to donate 30 ECG machines. CAD was initiated in February 2018 to help patients in rural and remote villages. So far, 375 ECG machines had been installed in the PHCs, CHCs and the Janaushadhi Kendras across 25 districts in Karnataka.