• Rural Camps
• Mobile Cardiac Diagnostic Services
• Telemedicine
• School Camps

Rural Camps

Free heart check-up camps: The camps facilitate detection of various heart ailments like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease and congenital heart disease amongst general population, as well as follow-up of patients treated earlier at Frontier Lifeline. On an average four to five such camps are held every month. The tests conducted at the camp include weight, blood pressure, ECG (electrocardiography), and echocardiography apart from consultation with the cardiologist and counseling by dieticians and clinical psychologists.

Mobile Cardiac Diagnostic Services

The Frontier Mobile Cardiac Diagnostic Unit is the latest in innovative cardiac care with the unique appeal of offering a comprehensive cardiac screening facility to the rural masses. This customized vehicle is fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and instruments for the accurate and timely diagnosis of cardiac patients living in the vast rural regions throughout India.

This unit which was inaugurated during the Policewomen’s screening camp in conjunction with International Women’s Day on March 8th, consists of 3 compartments. The first compartment is for the crew comprising of 2 drivers, an assistant, an electrician and a bio-medical engineer, who accompany the unit on its camp visits. This mobile unit is fully air-conditioned and fully carpeted and also carries a high capacity electrical generator in
case of power failure.

The other 2 compartments are the Adult Investigation Area as well as the Pediatric Investigation Area. These areas contain a treadmill, ECG, portable ventilator, monitor cum defibrillator (with adult and pediatric paddles), pulseoxymeter with adult and pediatric probes, suction apparatus, provision to administer oxygen, a mobile crash trolley, an electronic data entry system, an auto-sphygmomanometer, a sphygmocor which measures the exact central blood pressure enabling a probable prediction of future coronary artery disease and individual examination and resuscitation couches.

The unit also has the provision for conducting CME programs for a small group of up to 10 members with audio-visual facilities. A dish antennae will also be installed shortly to enable telemedicine facilities for remote consultation with specialists in city hospitals.

The Pediatric area is tastefully done up to create a comfortable ambience and includes an accurate pediatric weight and height machine along with a mini play area for the little ones. A mobile bio-chemical lab is also available for the purpose of conducting a lipid profile study on school going children. This is an important diagnostic facility which reveals the predilection of children developing coronary artery disease at a later stage.

Each camp is conducted with at least one adult and one pediatric consultant cardiologist, 3-4 resident doctors, 2-3 staff nurses who conduct the initial assessments, an ECG technician, an ECHO technician as well as a data entry operator. Within the course of 3 weeks, 6 camps have already been conducted with the aid of this mobile unit. We look forward to many more camps with the use of this novel and modern mobile diagnostic unit.

Telemedicine

Frontier Lifeline Telemedicine Network Foundation - FLTNF

FLTNF is an innovative initiative founded by Dr. K.M. Cherian, in a bid to offer the benefits of quality cardiac care at the door step of the rural population, which lack basic medical amenities and infrastructure.

Given the increasing urgency to cater to the health needs of the rural population, a cardiac super-specialty hospital, St. Gregorios Cardio–Vascular Centre was established at Parumala, a remote village in Kerala. This one-of-a-kind centre conducts complex cardiac surgeries, angioplasty, angiography and other cardiac interventions. These facilities were further enhanced when His Excellency, the Honourable President of India, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam inaugurated the Paediatric Cardiology Facility and Rural Telemedicine connectivity, thereby actively linking with the Frontier Lifeline Telemedicine Network. Telemedicine’s “reaching the unreached” vision is the ultimate goal in transforming the “health for all” dream to reality.

Frontier Lifeline is also a member of the Task Force for Telemedicine in India and is actively involved with other proponents of telemedicine such as ISRO, CCDAT, DIT, DOS and a few selected corporate hospitals, in a proposal to set up a national telemedicine grid.

Space Technology for bridging the health divide

A Memorandum of Understanding was formalized on 6th November, 2006 between the Dr. K. M. Cherian Heart Foundation and ISRO, Department of Space, Government of India.

ISRO’s Telemedicine Network now covers 165 hospitals, 132 rural health centers and 35 specialty hospitals. ISRO’s satellite based telemedicine network which started in 2001 on an experimental basis, is aimed at linking remote / rural hospitals with super specialty hospitals in major cities.

Telemedicine facilities have been established between Frontier Lifeline at Chennai and its affiliated hospitals in the neighboring states namely;

• St.Gregorios Cardio Vascualr Centre, Parumala, Kerala
• Frontier Cardiac Care, Anugraha Hospital Complex, Kottayam
• Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupathi
• St.Joseph’s Hospital, Nellore
• Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Pondicherry

Free tele-cardiology consultations are available for emergency management of patients during acute MI, where the golden hour is crucial in saving the life of the patient. Cardiac advice for sick neonates with clinically duct dependant circulation, and emergency management advice for intractable arrhythmias is also offered. Non-emergency consultation services are scheduled between 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. on all week days.

The ISDN numbers to dial for tele-consultation services are as follows.

• 044 26566064
• 044 26566068
• 044 26566072

VSAT dedicated connectivity for TC is provided by ISRO IP NO: 10.253.3.2
We would be happy to be of assistance in setting up a nodal teleconsultation service at your centre, if you so desire.

For further queries and information please contact

Dr. Prem Sekar,
Telemedicine Co-ordinator
Frontier Lifeline Telemedicine Network Foundation
Frontier Lifeline – Dr.K.M.Cherian Heart Foundation
R-30-C, Ambattur Industrial Estate Road
Chennai - 600 101

Contact details

Telemedicine Academic Exchange Programme

Telemedicine is not only for the purpose of easy access to medical consultation, it also aids dissemination of knowledge through EDUSAT connectivity. Edusat connectivity was initiated for higher education in Medical and Allied Sciences. It offers the uniform dissemination of knowledge nation-wide (i.e. from Kashmir to Kanyakumari). The advantage of this programme is that every student undergoes the same course content. Frontier Lifeline installed EDUSAT in July 2006, to help candidates undertaking training for DNB get better exposure and knowledge of medicine.

Telemedicine Academic Exchange Sessions conducted include the following:

• A Tele-CME programme was held on 14th October 2005 between Frontier Lifeline Telemedicine Network Foundation, Chennai, and Annamalai University, Chidambaram. The topic of discussion was “Future trends in Paediatric Cardiology” by Dr. Prem Sekar, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, followed by a case discussion on complex congenital heart disease, presented from Chidambaram. Expert opinion was sought regarding the same.
• A tele-lecture on “Cyanotic Cardiac Problems in the Newborn” was delivered by Dr. Joseph Vettukatil, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Wessex Cardiac Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK, on 17th January 2006.
• A Tele-CME programme was conducted on 27th February 2006. The topic of discussion was “3D Echocardiography Application in Paediatric Cardiology Practice”. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Joseph Vettukatil, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Wessex Cardiac Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.

Tele-CME programmes in collaboration with Southampton General Hospital, UK, are conducted fortnightly.

• Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam inaugurated the Telemedicine link between Parumala and Chennai during his visit to Parumala.

• This facility can be used for new cases, second opinion, follow-up cases etc.

School Camps

The Community Outreach Program spread its services to the schools for the benefit of the school going children. The main objective of the school program is to strive towards prevention of heart diseases by detection and treatment at an early age. This program comprises of an integrated package of services which involves each and every child going through a complete heart check up (comprising of B. P. & Weight check, ECG, Consultation by Doctors and Echocardiography) and Diet counseling by a dietician.

Free Cardiac camp conducted Nation wide till date