A video call saves a life in snow-hit Tangdhar

Srinagar, Mar 16: What could be cited as a perfect example of how technology could benefit, improve, and even save human lives, a 49-year-old survived a heart attack when doctors made a video call.

The incident happened in Tangdhar, amidst heavy snowfall on Thursday, while the roads connecting the remote area to the rest of the Valley remained clogged due to snow.

As per the doctors, the patient reached Sub-District Hospital Tangdhar with acute chest pain.

The doctors on duty at the hospital suspected a heart attack, which was confirmed by an ECG.

Shifting the patient to a hospital with a Cath Lab was not possible as it was snowing heavily and the road over Sadhna Top was closed.

The doctors at the SDH had the option of thrombolysing the patient, but they needed supervision or training.

None seemed near.

Thrombolysis is a process of dissolving the blockage in a vessel with the help of injections.

They sent the ECG and the patient details on the WhatsApp group, Save Heart Initiative, and had a quick response.

Soon after Dr Irfan Ahmed Bhat, cardiologist at Super Specialty Hospital made a video call to the doctors in Tanghdar.

Step-by-step, Dr Bhat guided Dr Yahya Malik and Dr Ishfaq Ahmed Khan through the process of administering Tenectplace, a thrombolysing agent.

Over the video call recording of about 10 minutes, which was received by Greater Kashmir, the two doctors in Tangdhar and a doctor sitting in his car in Srinagar were seen making an intervention possible that saved the life of the patient.

His clot was dissolved, and a repeat ECG showed the crisis had abated.

The heart attack that could have claimed the life of the Tangdhar resident was saved with the help of two proactive doctors who decided to act and seek help.

On March 14, the road opened for a few hours, and the patient was shifted to Super Specialty Hospital.

The assessment at the Cath Lab of the Hospital showed the patient’s condition was stable and there was no clot in any vessel anymore.

Dr Malik said the injection Tenectplace had been kept at the hospital “with these emergencies in mind”. He said the SDH was the lifeline for the people in the area, and doctors had to cater to “all kinds of emergencies”.

“After we shifted the heart attack victim, the road was closed again, and this hospital is all people can rely on,” Dr Malik said.

The doctors working with the Save Heart Initiative said that the WhatsApp group had been able to save many lives, especially during winter.

“Our network has been able to guide Thrombolysis, and even DC Shock at times,” Dr Bhat said.