Making heart operations affordable to even those below poverty line since the past two years, Healthy Heart For All (HHFA), an initiative by cardiologists to help the poor, is providing free heart check-ups as well as easy monthly instalment options to help tackle rising incidences of cardiac ailments.
HHFA initiative is presently active in 18 cities. It has partnered with 50 hospitals across these cities and disbursed 116 medical loans to patients under EMI and easy financing options, said a statement.
"Roping in 50 hospitals across these cities and distributing 116 medical loans to patients under EMI or easy financing options for heart devices implants, HHFA, offers easy instalments (starting from Rs.600 a month) in their scheme. So now even the poor patients can actually avail the best treatment options," a statement said.
HHFA aims to increase awareness and diagnosis of heart diseases by providing high quality, affordable cardiac diagnosis and treatment to underprivileged patients.
"HHFA promotes financial assistance to implant heart devices such as pacemakers, stents, ICD and CRTP, HHFA partners with hospitals for aiding heart patient. Often cardiac emergencies are sudden and people suffer, so on-the-spot finance issues are available to address," the statement said.
The 18 cities are: Delhi, Kolkata, Ranchi, Durgapur, Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kochi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore.
According to HHFA, Cardiovascular disease will be the cause of over 40 percent deaths in India by 2020. Over three million deaths occur each year due to cardiovascular diseases and India is set to be the 'heart disease capital of the world'.
For information on cardiac diseases, free check-up camps and for loan information, one can call 18002095123, or visit http://www.healthyheartforall.org/aboutus, or SMS HEART to 56677.