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Bangalore: Untimely demise of Kannada superstar Puneet Rajkumar There appears to be a sudden increase in the number of people queuing up for cardiovascular check-ups in Karnataka due to the cardiac arrest on October 29.
31 October and 1 November – one sunday and one Government holiday for Kannada Rajyotsava, the state’s foundation day – a 20 to 30 percent increase in the number of patients seeking OPD consultations for heart tests in hospitals across the state.
“For the last two days, we have seen a 30 per cent increase in patients seeking OPD services for heart health. On an average, our hospital sees around 1,200 OPD patients on weekdays – this sudden surge is putting the system in jeopardy. OPD is closed on Sundays but on an average 150 patients seek help in case of emergency. This Sunday, however, the number was 550,” Dr CN Manjunath, director of Bengaluru’s Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, told ThePrint. Headquartered in Bengaluru, it is the largest tertiary care in the state run by the Government of Karnataka.
The situation is the same in private hospitals as well. “Despite frequent holidays, our Bengaluru unit has registered an increase of around 20-25 per cent in the number of patients seeking heart health evaluation. Most patients are in their 20s or 30s. They are making special requests for CT angiography. We are glad that there is awareness about heart health, but there is no need to panic,” said Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Medical Advisory Board, Manipal Group of Hospitals.
Doctors attribute this incident to the shock of sudden death of fit and healthy Puneet Rajkumar.
“In addition to annual check-ups for overall preventive care, only people with multiple risk factors such as high blood pressure, stressful lifestyle, heavy drinking, smoking, sleeplessness and family history of heart diseases need such tests. Tests like ECG, ECHO, treadmill stress test are recommended but CT angio should not be done multiple times, as it puts pressure on the kidney,” said Dr Manjunath.
Read also: More patients going to hospitals, claiming insurance for heart problems since lockdown
Not only in Bangalore
The rush in hospitals for cardiac check-ups is not limited to Bengaluru alone. There has also been a sharp increase in the number of people going to the hospital in other parts of Karnataka who are assessing heart health.
“Interestingly, there are also many patients who have a history of heart diseases, but they are negligent in follow-up visits and monitoring. They are also coming for checkup now. Most of the new patients are in their 30s,” said Dr Amit Sattur, Interventional Cardiologist, Sattur Heartcare and Suchirayu Hospital, Hubli.
He added that while awareness about heart health is “welcome”, people should be mindful of other related factors as well.
“People willing to start working out in the gym have started coming for evaluation. It is important to understand the limitations of your body to avoid unnecessary overwork and stress,” Dr Sattur said.
Renowned cardiologist Dr Arun Srinivas of Mysore’s Apollo Hospital said the crowd was a “knee jerk reaction” to the actor’s death.
“Our OPD has seen a growth of 35 per cent in the last two days. Screening for heart-related issues has increased especially among people in their 30s – 99 per cent of them are perfectly healthy, but panic is driving them to hospitals when awareness should be the motivating factor,” Dr Srinivas said.
(Edited by Paramita Ghosh)
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