| Kolkata based Suraksha hospital is all set to come up with such a screening mechanism which would precise predict the 'risk zone' in which a person belongs with a help of a software, similar to the one used in Germany in their 'Procam' study, informed Anup Bhargav, a member doctor conducting the study in Suraksha. |
| "This is the first time in the whole country when a patients' heart can be analysed in a high tech manner clearly indicating the propensity of being affected by coronary artery disease," informed Bhargav. |
| Debasish Basu, chief clinical and research coordinator, further informed that the hospital will be trying to build up its own data base in this regard and would come up with a separate software that would further upgrade the techniques of treatment. |
| The amount of fee charged for the overall test would be around Rs 1000, he added. |
| But what if someone is detected to be in the risk zone? |
| Suraksha has set up 'multi slice spiral CT scan' machine, now making cardiac CT scan possible, one among the very few available in the whole country. |
| This specialised scan machine can generate 43 slices per second in comparison to ordinary scanning machines generating 1 slice per second, informed Bhargav. |
| Previously, patients were to go for a 'cathlab angio', a relatively difficult and risky method used for detecting coronary artery blockages. |
| "This machine will provide detailed information of any blockage in the heart with the high quality image that it would generate," added Bhargav. |
| Suraksha charges around Rs 9500 for this scan as against a fee of around Rs 16,000 charged for ordinary cathlab angio done elsewhere, he added. |
| Manoj Jain, another member doctor further explained that the main purpose of the scan is to detect any problem at the earliest in a much hassle free way at it takes a few second for the whole scanning to be complete with the advanced technology used in the machine. |
| Suraksha was reported to have invested around Rs 4.5 crore on this machine purchasing it from Siemens during middle of the last year. |
| Till now the hospital has run more than 500 scanning using this machines, he informed. |
| It was further noted by Bhargav, that West Bengal has been marked as a high risk zone for 'ischaemic heart' that is coronary heart disease. |
| "In comparison to the world wide incidence of 1 per cent, the Indian average if nearly 7 per cent with that of West Bengal being even higher at 13 per cent," said Bhargav. |
| Studies have pointed out that by 2035 population in the age group of 40-60 year were most likely to have heart disease, doctors informed. |
| Studies have even shown that food habit, corporate stress , climate were among few contributors to this problem that remains with the state, they pointed out. |
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