WhatsApp takes cardiac expertise to patients in Karnataka’s remote villages

BENGALURU: When 65-year-old Joseph came to the

community health centre

at

Gaudalli village

, 33km from Madikeri, complaining of

severe chest pain

, he was critical.

The medical officer at the centre took an

ECG of the patient

and put it on a WhatsApp group to instantly get advice from eminent cardiologists on how to go about the case. Timely intervention helped the

doctor

save his patient, who was later shifted to a nearby hospital in Mysuru for further treatment.

The WhatsApp group, Cardiology At Doorsteps, is a collective of over 250 doctors working in various community health centres (CHC) and primary health centres (PHC) across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts. It helps patients, even from remote villages, access expert opinion on cardiac issues any time and free of cost.

The group, created last month, has so far been able to save 12 lives with its timely intervention, say doctors. Whenever a cardiac case is reported at any health centre, the doctor concerned takes the ECG of the patient and shares it in the group, where he seeks expert suggestions on the steps to be taken. The exercise also goes a long way in helping doctors at the grassroots understand how to read ECGs and medication to be given during emergencies. District medical officers from six districts are also part of the group.

“The group was started after I witnessed the death of a 40-year old man from Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru. The man died because the local doctor he consulted couldn’t identify that he had a heart attack,” said Dr Padmanabh Kamath, the brain behind the WhatsApp collective and chief interventional cardiologist, KMC Mangaluru.

“The group encourages doctors at CHCs and PHCs to use ECG facility and also understand its technical aspects. Since most doctors are either MBBS or Ayush graduates, it will serve as a platform for them to learn using ECG, which is only taught at MD level,” he added.

Since the maximum members on a WhatsApp group is restricted to 256, only two cardiologists — Dr Kamath and Dr Manish Rai, an electrophysiologist, who deals with heart rhythm disorders — both from KMC, Mangaluru, are included as experts. However, a group of other cardiologists is backing the group from outside and, whenever needed, they chip in with their opinion.

“I consulted the group in three emergency cases and the immediate responses helped me save lives,” said Dr Indudhar K, medical officer at Gaudalli CHC in Somwarpet.