Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao addressing the gathering after launching the ‘Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar Heart Health scheme” (Hrudaya Jyoti) in Dharwad on Friday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao has said that the State government had launched the ‘Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar Heart Health scheme (Hrudaya Jyoti)‘ to cater to the cardiac health care needs of the poor and general public. It was the first scheme of its kind in the entire country.
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Inaugurating the State-level launch programme of the scheme in Dharwad on Friday, Mr. Rao said that the government had launched the scheme in memory of actor and philanthropist Puneeth Rajkumar to provide emergency treatment and healthcare facilities for cardiac patients.
“In most of the cases of heart attack, the patient breathes his last before reaching the hospitals with required facilities. One of the reasons for deaths was lack of treatment facilities for cardiac patients in taluk hospitals. So, to provide the cardiac healthcare facilities to taluk hospitals, the government has launched the Hrudaya Jyoti scheme”, he said.
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He said that in the first phase, the scheme had been launched in 71 taluk and 15 district hospitals. As many as 65 cardiac surgeons from various district hospitals will be available online for providing guidance to the taluk health officials in treating and protecting the lives of cardiac patients.
“Under the scheme, any person suffering heart attack will be immediately administered an injection worth ₹30,000 for free. The scheme will be extended to all the taluk hospitals by next year,” he announced.
The Health Minister said that steps were being taken to provide first aid to the person suffering from heart problems at public places like railway stations, bus stations and other busy areas. Defibrillators were being made available outside the hospitals also for the first time. This apart, healthcare facilities in all the government hospitals were being upgraded, he added.
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Model for the country
Releasing the handbook on the training programme under the scheme, Labour Minister Santosh Lad termed the scheme ‘a model for the whole country’, which benefitted the poor and people from rural areas. The State government, which had successfully implemented all the five guarantee schemes, had through this scheme taken another step towards catering to the healthcare needs of the general public, he said, listing out various other programmes and schemes.
N.H. Konaraddi, MLA, and Dr. Charita spoke on the occasion.
Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Commissionerate D. Randeep, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Divya Prabhu, Additional Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Umba Buggi, Deputy Director of NCD Dr. Srinivas G.A. and several senior officials were present.