The aim of the Gauri Healthy Heart project, a voluntary organization which was started on 29th September 2020, the World Heart Day, is to reach out to the remote areas of the country, beginning from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Following this the plan is to fan out to various pre-selected areas of the country. The primary mission is of preventing heart attacks and strokes. Gauri Kaul Foundation (GKF) was registered as an NGO on the 10th of April, 2021.
The areas selected in our first outreach activity are: Machil and Tangdhar (District Kupwara), Uri (DIstt Baramulla), Hawal and neighboring villages (District Pulwama) and selected areas of district Srinagar (Mir Bahri in backwaters of Dal) and areas around Gauri Heart Centre, Chanapora, (Rambagh, Natipora, Bagh-I Mahtab, Kralapora and Nogam) in Kashmir. In Jammu region the areas selected are Jagti Migrant Township, Udhampur, Katra and Ranbir Singh Pura.
Our plan is to hold one day Healthy Heart Screening camps and evaluate 100-150 patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, with or without heart disease, already on treatment. Every patient is evaluated as per a set proforma with measurement of body mass index, BP, Random blood sugar, lipid profile and an electrocardiogram. Echocardiography will be done wherever indicated. The program is a joint collaboration between state health departments, Gauri Research Centre, Pharma Companies, Social and development organizations, Army, Volunteers and civil societies at grass root levels through Umeed Foundation.
Telecardiology units installed by our foundation at Machil and Jagti will be the key to help us carrying out our mission in remote areas. These units manned by trained persons have the facility of recording a full ECG, have digital stethoscopes, pulse oximeters and facilities to carry out a battery of point of care blood tests including bio-markers. Patient after full evaluation will be connected to a remotely placed medical specialist from the provider of the telecardiology unit. The doctor will prescribe drugs. All the essential drugs are available in the form of a juke box containing packed-in sterile boxes. These 2 units have been provided by the corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds of the Indian Oil at a cost of Rs 36 lacks.
The Machil unit has been commissioned in the Col Sahi memorial hospital built by the Rastriya Rifles and is also being maintained by them. Whereas the Jagti, Jammu unit is placed in the premises of “ Help Line Humanity” which basically is a library for vocational training for the younger generation. Both these units eventually will be taken care of by the Gauri Kaul Foundation. These units will become fully functional by the end of January 2022.
Another similar unit has been sanctioned recently by the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) for village Hawl, Pulwama in the Prasad Joo Khan Memorial Healthy heart Centre. This center will also have all the facilities of diagnostic cardiology, biochemistry and biomarkers at a cost of Rs 1.15 crores.
ONGC will provide Rs 68,62 Lacks for the equipment. Prasad Joo was a very well-known and a highly respected person of this area. He lived in this village till 1965, when he passed away at an age of 85 years. This unit will be ready by the end of March 2022 and will be inaugurated and dedicated to the people of South Kashmir on 10th April 2022, the foundation day of our foundation.
Tail Piece:
Gauri Kaul Foundation has a commitment of continuing and strengthening its “No Heart Attack Mission”. It will be extended to several districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the year 2022. The hallmark of this program will be setting up of fully functional Telecardiology units in Machil, (District Kupwara), Hawl, (District Pulwama) and Jagti migrant township in Jammu.
One day camps with all the relevant investigations will be done in several designated areas at no cost to the patients. CSR funds from Indian Oil, ONGC and several pharma industries along with the combined efforts of Indian Army, local health departments, volunteers and civil societies at grassroots level through Umeed Foundation and Panchayats of these areas will make it possible.
Author is Founder Director Gauri Kaul Foundation, Recipient of Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy Award
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.