AIIMS’ bike ambulance gives clot busting drug to heart attack patient at home

A 52-year-old who suffered a severe heart attack received medical assistance at their doorstep on Wednesday morning under the ‘Mission DELHI’ programme of the Indian

A 52-year-old who suffered a severe heart attack received medical assistance at their doorstep on Wednesday morning under the ‘Mission DELHI’ programme of the Indian Council of Medical Research.

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The patient from RK Puram called the helpline number at 10:40 am and got a clot-busting drug within 30 minutes. This is the first time in India a person has received the drug at home. It is usually given to patients in hospitals after investigation.

The pilot project was started from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) last April. Under the scheme, a nurse with diagnostic instruments and drugs are dispatched on a bike ambulance to places within a 5km radius.

In the present case, the nurse performed an on-site ECG (electro-cardiograph) and the results were transmitted back to a control room where the doctor diagnosed the condition and instructed the administration of the drug.

The person was then brought to the emergency department of AIIMS for treatment.

The Mission DELHI (Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative) helpline numbers 14430 and 1800-11-1044 receive up to 30 calls of chest pain each month for which a bike ambulance is dispatched.

“In most cases, the people have discomfort because of gastric problems or other types of heart attacks. The clot-busting drug needs to be administered as soon as possible and the longer they wait, the more heart muscle dies,” said Dr Chandni Suvarna, a senior scientist working on the project.

The heart muscles die off within four to six hours and then the damage cannot be undone. So, it is essential that the clot-busting injection is given as soon as possible. The project will cost R 5 crore over three years and more if expanded.