Professor Aggarwal Leads MISSION DELHI@ICMR

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) launched a project, Mission DELHI, the Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative on 25th February, 2019 at a function organized at AIIMS, New Delhi. Dr. P. Venugopal, ex-director AIIMS was the Chief Guest of the function.

The Guests of Honor were Dr.Balram Bhargava, Director General ICMR and Secretary Department of Health Research, and Dr.Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi.

The Investigators of the project included Dr. Praveen Aggarwal, Dr.Sandeep Seth, Dr. G. Karthikeyan, Dr. Sandeep Singh, Dr.Ambuj Roy, Dr. S. Ramakrishnan and Dr. Neeraj Parakh.

Others who were present included senior Cardiologists from other hospitals, Dr.Meenakshi Sharma, Dr. R.S. Dhaliwal and Dr.Ashoo Grover from ICMR, CEO of Genova Pharmaceuticals, representatives of UK Specialist Ambulance Service, CATS ambulance service and Residents Welfare Associations, as well as the whole team of Mission Delhi (physicians, senior scientists, paramedics and others)

Dr.Praveen Aggarwal, Vice-President of Academic College of Emergency Experts, Head, Department of Emergency Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi welcomed the dignitaries and introduced the concept behind the Mission DELHI project.He informed that since the average time taken by the patients of MI is about 5 hours, and primary PCI can be done only in less than 8-9% of cases residing in major cities, it cannot be the answer for every patient of STEMI.

Dr.Balram Bhargava said that having good infrastructure and excellent doctors is not the only solution to reduce mortality due to heart attacks. Thrombolytic therapy which can be given within a short period of MI and is a low-cost treatment. He emphasized on the need of having such projects all over Delhi and then all over India so as to make significant impact on mortality due to STEMI.

Dr.Randeep Guleria stressed that in view of difficulties in the use of primary PCI in STEMI patients, we should rely more on the thrombolysis, and then promptly shifting the patients to a PCI capable centre. The project aims at reducing the number of deaths from ST-elevation myocardial infarction by providing health services at the at the doorstep of patients.

Dr.Ramakrishnan from Department of Cardiology, AIIMS, gave an overview of the project. With four bike-ambulances and 12 nurses trained to handle emergency cases, Mission DELHI aims to reduce the time it takes for people with a serious heart attack to receive thrombolytic agent. On receiving a call, GPRS-enabled bike ambulance will be dispatched. An ECG will be taken by trained paramedics and will be transmitted to doctors and cardiologists at AIIMS. If the ECG shows ST elevation MI, thrombolytic agent, tenecteplase will be administered and with the help of CATS ambulance, the patient will be shifted to a hospital. In the pilot phase, it will cater only to people living in a three-kilometre radius of AIIMS. The service can be availed using toll free numbers – 14430 and 1800-11-1044.

Dr. P. Venugopal congratulated the team of Mission Delhi and said that provision of timely emergency treatment to patients with STEMI will be helpful as this could be given before the patient is shifted to the hospital. Considering its efficacy and relative ease to administer, prehospital thrombolysis is ideally suited for Indian conditions. He then launched the Project by pressing a button.

Dr.Sandeep Seth from Department of Cardiology, AIIMS emphasized on the need of having a system in place for managing STEMI and Mission Delhi is one such system. The awareness drives and dry runs for the project had started seven months ago. So far, the nurses on the field have already conducted 1,804 dry runs and done 1,040 ECG. He also delivered vote of thanks.

Later, Dr.Balram Bhargava,Dr.Randeep Guleria, Dr.Praveen Aggarwal and other investigators of the project inaugurated the Command Centre of Mission Delhi by lighting a lamp and also congratulating its whole team.

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About ICMR

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world. The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. ICMR’s 26 National Institutes address themselves to research on specific health topics like tuberculosis, leprosy, cholera and diarrhoeal diseases, viral diseases including AIDS, malaria, kala-azar, vector control, nutrition, food & drug toxicology, reproduction, immuno-haematology, oncology, medical statistics, etc. Its 6 Regional Medical Research Centres address themselves to regional health problems, and also aim to strengthen or generate research capabilities in different geographic areas of the country. For More Information: www.icmr.nic.in

About INDUSEM

The INDUSEM mission is to envision and implement the future of Patient Care across the world. The partnership brings together Expert Educators, Inquisitive Innovators and Physicians supporting Safe Patient Care across India, United States and the World. INDUSEM is the Top International Partnership across the World and brings together Institutions, Individuals and Initiatives focused on improving patient care globally. Till date INDUSEM has reached over 50,000 Experts and its reach continues to grow daily. For more information, visit www.indusem.org

About AIIMS, New Delhi :

All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi was established in 1956 and operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. AIIMS was the vision of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the first Health Minister of India, to establish an institute of such nature in India. Today AIIMS is one the World’s Leading Medical Education, Research and Patient Care Institute. For More Information: www.aiims.edu

About ACEE

The Academic College of Emergency Experts was established by Leaders of INDUSEM to create a guild of expert clinicians who are have a mastery at providing safe patient care with high quality therapeutics based on latest evidence based medicine. The only Unique College in Asia ACEE only bestows affiliation after a rigorous coaching and testing process hereby maintaining its high standards of commitment to education and excellence. It surpasses the erstwhile ideology of existing academic colleges where affiliation is based on recommendation. There are multiple pathways to be a Fellow of the College namely Emergency Medicine, Emergency Paediatrics. Toxicology, Emergency Nursing Pathway etc. For More Information. Visit www.acee-india.org