STEMI Programme Saves Over 3,000 Lives In AP

Vijayawada: Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav has said that timely intervention under the state’s STEMI programme helped save the lives of 3,027 people who suffered sudden heart attacks in rural Andhra Pradesh between June and November 15.

In a statement on Tuesday, the minister said the government had introduced the STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) protocol across 238 government hospitals — including community health centres, area hospitals and district hospitals — to provide the costly Tenecteplase injection free of charge during the ‘golden hour’.

Of the 3,155 patients who arrived at these hospitals with heart attack symptoms and were identified as needing the injection, 3,027 were saved, recording a success rate of 95.94 per cent. He noted that although the remaining patients were also administered the drug, their condition had deteriorated by the time they reached hospital.

Satya Kumar Yadav said Asha workers and ANMs would receive training to identify early symptoms as part of the Non-Communicable Diseases-4.0 survey, strengthening the STEMI rollout.

He said `16.60 crore had been spent on supplying medical equipment to 238 hospitals. While private hospitals charge `40,000 to `45,000 per injection, the government is providing it free, spending `19,000 per dose plus `6,000 worth of medicines per patient. So far, `7.88 crore has been spent on 3,155 patients, he added.