AI Helps Save 6,000 At-risk Heart Patients in Maharashtra

The AI-equipped STEMI programme of the Maharashtra health department that screens and treats heart diseases has so far saved 6,144 people, said officials. The health officials also noted a rise in cardiovascular diseases in the state that affects men between 30 and 40 years and women aged 40-60. The people saved were the ones in need of immediate medical intervention. 

The ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is the most common type of heart attack, where the risk of a stroke lies at the peak. This is due to the ischemic heart disease caused by narrowed arteries. As an early intervention, the state government launched the STEMI programme in January 2020 in collaboration with health-tech firm Tricog Health ​​across 12 districts. About 1,200 of the patients diagnosed and treated under the programme belong to the metropolitan region in Mumbai. 

Explaining the procedures of the diagnosis, Dr Charit Bhojraj, CEO, Tricog Health said, “The ECG machine is connected with an artificial intelligence transmitter fitted with a SIM, which immediately sends the report to the cardiologists. The doctor diagnoses the severity of the disease within 10 minutes of receiving the report. If the patient urgently needs angioplasty or any other intervention, we immediately guide them to the hospitals under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Yojana to be treated free of cost.”

The STEMI programme has set up 145 centres in hospitals across 12 districts, where patients are screened for symptoms such as chest pain, shivering, and shortness of breath. If anything significant is discovered during the investigation, the patient is transferred to one of the 38 hospitals that can treat the heart-related illnesses.