TN Heart Attack Management Program / Idhayam Kaapom Thittam

Under STEMI Program, 21 Hubs with Cath Labs and 195 Spoke hospitals are geographically mapped. The Cath Labs have been brought to optimal functioning in the year 2022 due to which lifesaving emergency cardiac care services has been provided to patients under CMCHIS scheme in Government Hospitals.

Because of this, heart attack patients avail Angiogram, Angioplasty within 24 hrs of symptoms onset. Thereby out-of-pocket expenditure and families being pushed into poverty is effectively prevented.

Ever since the launch of Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Services in the year 2017, assured quality of emergency care services to its citizens has been ensured by the Government of Tamil Nadu abiding by the principle of ‘right patient being taken to right hospital and treated by trained health care provider within the golden hour’. This has been the practice.

However, the existing network of Emergency Care Services is limited to the DME and DMRHS hospitals only. The launch of Health and wellness centers across the State has brought comprehensive health care services closer to the community. From Tertiary care and secondary care centers, the TN-Heart Attack Management program has reached Primary care by providing cardio-protective loading dose drugs in all 9,421 Health Sub Centers (HSCs) and Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) throughout the State.

On 27th June 2023, Govt of Tamil Nadu launched this program at Malumichampatti, Health Sub Center (HSC), in Coimbatore district by the Hon’ble Health minister and a minimum of 10 packets of loading dose drugs which includes, Tab. Aspirin 300mg, Tab. Clopidogrel 300mg, Tab Atorvastatin 80mg are made availablein all Health care facilities including Health and wellness centers, health Sub-centers and 108 ambulances.

Each MLHP in the Health and Wellness Center is linked to the hub hospital cardiologist through teleconsultation for timely diagnosis of STEMI. The patient is then advised cardioprotective loading dose drugs and immediate transportation of the patient to hub hospital in ALS ambulance.