One night when even an ECG was not available… Today the same state is saving lives…
Dr. Sharad Chandra recalls his 2005 experience, explaining how the picture of cardiac treatment in Uttar Pradesh has changed.
News Street Live, Lucknow, April 10: During the NIC-2026 conference of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI), when Dr. Sharad Chandra began speaking in the packed auditorium of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University, his voice reflected not only that of a doctor but also of a son who had closely experienced the limitations of the healthcare system. He shared an incident from 2005.
He recounted that one December night around 10 p.m., he received a call from his father from their home in Chandausi saying, “Son, I am having chest pain. What should I do?” As a doctor and a son, he naturally replied, “Papa, please get an ECG done somewhere nearby.”
His father responded that it was late at night and an ECG would not be available at that time, and that he would get it done in the morning. Dr. Chandra said that night not only his father but he himself stayed awake as well. The next day, the ECG came out normal, but that night left a question in his mind – do we really have arrangements for timely treatment?
He said, “Today, two decades later, the picture of that same Uttar Pradesh has completely changed.” Becoming emotional, he said that now a patient suffering a heart attack does not have to wait until morning. Initiatives like “Hriday Setu” have connected major institutions such as SGPGI, KGMU, and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences with district hospitals.
He added, “Earlier, treatments such as angioplasty were limited to big cities, but now these facilities are available in districts like Sultanpur, Jaunpur, Bahraich, Gonda, and Basti. Patients no longer have to fight not just distance but also time.”
Concluding his address, Dr. Chandra said that this change is not just about numbers; it is a change in trust. There was a time when even an ECG was not possible at night, and today the same state stands ready at every moment to save lives. This is the changed Uttar Pradesh. This is the “Uttam Pradesh.”
