AP to expand cardiac care in govt hospitals

Amaravati: The State government is expanding cardiac care facilities in government teaching hospitals to provide advanced treatment closer to patients, particularly those from poor and rural families, medical and health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said on the eve of World Heart Day.

World Heart Day is observed on September 29, with the World Heart Federation’s 2026 campaign carrying the slogan “Don’t Miss a Beat”.

The existing Cath Lab at Kakinada Government General Hospital has been modernised under a public-private partnership. The government is now taking steps to establish new Cath Labs at teaching hospitals in Tirupati, Nellore and Srikakulam, with the tender process under way and an estimated expenditure of Rs 18 crore.

There are currently eight Cath Labs in government teaching hospitals, of which five are operated directly by the government and three under the PPP model.

The minister said Rs 10 crore would be spent on procuring four additional heart-lung machines for government hospitals in Tirupati, Kadapa, Anantapur and Guntur.

Such machines are already available at Kurnool, Guntur and Vijayawada, while one was provided to Visakhapatnam’s KGH through CSR funds. Another Rs 2 crore would be spent on state-of-the-art 2D Echo machines for Kurnool and Guntur. An additional Rs 4 crore would be allocated for ICU monitors, defibrillators and other essential cardiac and surgical equipment. Together, these measures form part of a Rs 34-crore plan to strengthen cardiac infrastructure in major government hospitals.

Open-heart surgeries are also expected to commence soon at Anantapur, with a heart-lung machine being procured for the facility. This is expected to reduce the need for patients from the Rayalaseema region to travel to other cities for treatment. The government is also taking steps to establish a 50,000-sq ft heart centre at Kakinada through a corporate entity.

Satya Kumar said 4,48,863 people availed outpatient services at the State’s 10 heart centres during 2024-25 and 2025-26, while 27,024 patients were admitted for treatment. During the two years, the centres performed 4,724 angioplasties, 14,320 angiograms, 359 bypass surgeries and 111 heart valve replacements, besides other cardiac procedures.

The NTR Vaidya Seva Trust approved cardiac treatment for 1,41,934 people between September 2025 and August 2026. Of them, 18.49 per cent were aged 40-49, 29.58 per cent were 50–59 and 25.18 per cent were 60-69, with the 50-59 age group accounting for the largest share.

The minister stressed the importance of immediate treatment during a heart attack. Under the STEMI programme, 5,111 patients received Tenecteplase injections free of cost between June 2024 and September 25, 2026.

The injections, costing about Rs 40,000 each, helped achieve a reported survival rate of 95.69 per cent, he said.

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The Hans India