In a significant move to combat the rising number of heart attack fatalities, the Jharkhand health department has announced a major upgrade to its emergency medical services. The state will soon begin providing free Enoxaparin injections, a life-saving first-line treatment for heart attack patients, across all its sadar hospitals and medical college hospitals that do not have dedicated cardiology departments.
Bridging the Gap in Emergency Cardiac Care
The initiative is designed to drastically improve emergency response capabilities within government hospitals, particularly in regions where access to cardiology specialists and essential cardiac services is limited. Many heart attack patients are often referred to higher centres immediately upon arrival due to the absence of specialists and even the non-availability of basic cardiac medicines in their respective emergency units, explained Siddhartha Sanyal, the health department's director in chief, in a conversation with TOI on Thursday. He emphasized that this new system is expected to prevent such critical delays, which can often mean the difference between life and death.
How the Enoxaparin Injection Saves Lives
Medical experts clarify the science behind this intervention. The injection, specifically Enoxarin-40 (0.4 ml), contains Enoxaparin, which is a low-molecular-weight heparin. This drug plays a dual role: it prevents blood clots from enlarging and also helps the body's natural mechanisms break down existing clots. This action is crucial during the early stages of a cardiac attack, as it significantly increases a patient's chances of survival by stabilizing their condition.
By administering Enoxaparin at the very first point of contact, doctors can buy invaluable time. This stabilization improves survival outcomes before a patient needs to be referred to more advanced cardiac facilities, if necessary.
New Dedicated Centres for Timely Intervention
To ensure that this life-saving aid is delivered without delay, the department will establish special dedicated centres inside the emergency rooms of the identified sadar and medical college hospitals. These centres will be equipped to provide immediate assessment, necessary testing, and the early administration of the Enoxaparin injection.
Director in Chief Sanyal stated, "To ensure immediate first aid for such patients, we will provide free enoxaparin injections across the state. This facility will be available in all sadar hospitals and in medical college hospitals without cardiology departments. A special emergency centre will also be set up for this." He highlighted the grim reality that thousands of people lose their lives every year due to the lack of timely and proper cardiac care, and this initiative aims to ensure that patients receive life-saving treatment at the earliest possible moment.
This decision comes amid growing concerns over the increasing incidence of heart attacks across Jharkhand, marking a proactive step by the state government to strengthen its public healthcare infrastructure.
