Manipal, June 01, 2020.

While the country battled the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic under a lockdown, Dr Padmanabh Kamath, Professor & HOD Cardiology, KMC Mangalore decided to take an initiative and save lives. With years of experience and a close-knit group of doctors backing him up, he has managed to not only save lives but also spread hope.

Dr Padmanabh Kamath along with the members of Cardiology at Doorstep (CAD), a WhatsApp group that Dr Kamath created three years ago, got to work, trying to save lives together. A total of 2010 ECGs cases and 204 heart attack patients that were reported on the CAD WhatsApp group were identified and treated effectively all over Karnataka. This success was achieved due to his constantefforts through the years to provide adequate infrastructure to hospitals across the country and make a difference. Thus with his relentless efforts, sheer grit and determination he touched lives of 2010 people who were screened from across 20 districts in Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala.

Mentioned below is the breakup of the patients across districts that this initiative has aided:

•Chitradurga District - 28

• Mandya District - 15

• Hassan District - 13

• Uttara Kannada District - 15

• Davangere District - 10

• Bhagalkot District - 8

• Dharwad District - 5

• Bangalore rural - 14

• Dakshina Kannada - 22

• Others –54

Overall, the group has a reach of more than 25 lakh population across 20 districts of Karnataka. This is huge considering the magnitude of the problem.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr Padmanabh Kamath, Director, HOD Cardiology, KMC Hospitals Mangalore, said, “I didn’t waste my time thinking about what will happen tomorrow, instead I saved few lives. I feel happy for what I have done. A small initiative which I started 3 years ago has proved its worth during the lockdown. We at KMC Hospitals Manipal always focused on providing our patients with efficient and effective treatments. Success tastes very sweet especially during the extremely hostile conditions of these perilous times where so many lives have been saved. We will continue to work in the best interest of our patients and give them a fighting chance at a full and healthy life even in the face of adversities.”