Haryana Government Health Centres Roll Out Tele-ECG Network

A public-private partnership in Haryana has equipped nearly 600 government health facilities with smartphone-connected tele-ECG devices to diagnose heart issues in rural areas. The initiative, named Spandan One, was launched on May 29 through a partnership between the Haryana government and health-tech startup Sunfox Technologies.

Results And Reach

As of September 17, the network recorded 33,854 ECG tests, identifying 9,287 abnormal readings and 1,342 critical cases. Medical officers at primary and community health centres use the devices to provide immediate loading doses of medicines such as blood thinners before referring patients to tertiary care hospitals. Data from the startup's live dashboard indicates that cardiac issues are prevalent among individuals aged 30 to 49, while also showing high rates of critical ECGs among women.

Challenges

The rollout faced hurdles including the need for repeat tests and initial pushback from the State's nursing union over frontline workers conducting ECGs. The Directorate General of Health Services addressed this by stating that workers would face disciplinary action for refusing to conduct life-saving diagnostics. Former Director General Kuldeep Singh noted that district hospitals are already seeing a 20% reduction in emergency department deaths due to early stabilisation.

Context

Public health infrastructure in rural India has historically faced shortages of specialised cardiac equipment and technicians at primary health centres. Telemedicine tools bridge this gap by allowing frontline workers to transmit diagnostic data for remote clinical review.