Dr. Bilal Ahmad Lone
Doctors and paramedical staff are the frontline healthcare providers who diagnose, treat, and manage cardiac emergencies. In most cases, these professionals respond promptly and to the best of their ability. However, their capacity to save lives is often restricted by systemic challenges such as lack of advanced equipment, understaffing, and poor emergency infrastructure. For instance, many hospitals in rural Kashmir lack functional defibrillators or 24/7 cardiac emergency services. Furthermore, due to high patient loads, overworked doctors may not have the time or resources to provide adequate preventive care or counselling. While individual negligence may occur in rare cases, the broader problem lies in institutional limitations rather than intentional failure on the part of healthcare providers.
The government bears the primary responsibility for the rising cardiac deaths due to its failure in building a robust and proactive public health system. There is a glaring absence of preventive programs focused on non-communicable diseases like heart conditions. Public awareness campaigns around heart health, hypertension screening, stress management, and early detection are either nonexistent or severely limited in Kashmir. Emergency medical services are poorly distributed, and many areas lack timely ambulance access or trained personnel. Moreover, there is no centralized system to record and monitor deaths due to cardiac arrest, making it difficult to plan interventions. In essence, policy failure, budgetary neglect, and lack of public health infrastructure have made it difficult to prevent or respond to cardiac emergencies effectively.
Pharmaceutical companies are not directly responsible for cardiac deaths but they do play a secondary role in shaping health outcomes. While many companies manufacture essential heart medications, their efforts are often driven more by profit than prevention. Aggressive marketing of non-essential drugs, limited corporate social responsibility efforts, and minimal investment in public awareness campaigns contribute to the broader neglect of preventive care. Furthermore, the ease of access to certain medications without prescription can lead to self-medication, masking underlying heart conditions and delaying proper treatment. Pharmaceutical firms could contribute more by partnering with the government or NGOs to promote screening, education, and lifestyle changes, especially in vulnerable regions like Kashmir.
Beyond institutional actors, individual lifestyle choices and environmental conditions also contribute to the increase in cardiac arrests. Poor dietary habits, smoking, alcohol use, sedentary routines, and high stress levels—particularly among youth—are major risk factors. The cold climate, especially in winter, further exacerbates heart risks due to vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), which increases blood pressure. In conflict-affected areas, chronic stress and mental health burdens add to the cardiovascular strain. While these factors are not controlled by doctors or the government alone, they require a comprehensive and multisectoral approach to address.
While cardiac arrest is often sudden and unpredictable, the growing number of such deaths in Kashmir reflects a failure at multiple levels. Doctors and paramedics are often doing their best within a broken system. The pharmaceutical sector could be more proactive, but the lion’s share of responsibility lies with the government for not creating a health ecosystem that prioritizes prevention, early intervention, and public awareness. Unless structural reforms are introduced—such as better-equipped hospitals, widespread heart screening programs, and health education—the toll from cardiac-related deaths will likely continue to rise.
To effectively control cardiac arrest cases, the healthcare infrastructure must be upgraded. District and sub-district hospitals across Kashmir need to be equipped with 24/7 cardiac emergency units and ICUs with modern life-saving equipment such as defibrillators (AEDs), ECG machines, and trained cardiac care personnel. Ambulance services should be modernized and equipped with AEDs and oxygen support to handle emergencies before reaching the hospital. Additionally, training programs for doctors, nurses, and paramedics in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) are critical for timely intervention in cardiac emergencies.
One of the major issues in Kashmir is a lack of awareness about heart diseases and how to respond during a cardiac emergency. Public education campaigns through TV, social media, local mosques, and schools should focus on recognizing early signs of heart attack (e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats), the importance of early hospital visits, and how to administer CPR. Organizing free CPR training camps for the general public, especially teachers, students, and local business owners, can empower communities to act during the critical first few minutes of a cardiac event.
Prevention is the most effective tool in reducing cardiac arrests. Lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are leading causes of heart issues. Therefore, promoting regular physical activity, healthy eating habits, stress management, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol is vital. Community programs should encourage walking groups, yoga camps, and school-based health clubs. Schools and local food vendors should be encouraged to offer nutritious food options and eliminate trans fats and excessive salt from diets.
Young adults and middle-aged individuals in Kashmir are increasingly being affected by heart issues, partly due to stress and unhealthy lifestyles. Regular annual health screenings should be mandated in schools, colleges, and workplaces to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart function. Educational institutions should integrate CPR and heart-health education into the curriculum. Workplaces, especially in high-stress environments like police, security forces, and teachers, should offer wellness programs, gym facilities, flexible schedules, and access to mental health support.
To address the issue systematically, there must be proper tracking and analysis of cardiac-related deaths. A centralized Cardiac Arrest Registry should be established in Jammu & Kashmir to record each case with age, gender, location, cause, and response time. Research institutions should be encouraged to conduct local studies on specific risk factors in Kashmir, such as high altitude, extreme cold, psychological stress due to conflict, and dietary habits. This data can help in targeting the most vulnerable populations with tailored interventions.
Ultimately, the government must take the lead. The Jammu & Kashmir health department should launch a dedicated Cardiovascular Health Mission to prevent and manage heart diseases. This should include funding for equipment, capacity building for rural health workers, and integration of non-communicable disease (NCD) services at the primary health care level. Policy support is needed to regulate harmful ingredients in packaged food, ban smoking in public spaces, and ensure essential heart medicines are available and affordable at every health center.
Controlling cardiac arrest in Kashmir demands a multi-faceted, coordinated approach. While doctors and medical staff must be trained and equipped, public awareness, healthy living, data monitoring, and strong government policy are equally crucial. With timely action, education, and investment in health systems, many of these deaths are preventable. It is not just a medical issue—it is a public health and societal priority that needs urgent and sustained attention.
The author holds an M.Phil and Ph.D. in Applied Psychology and can be reached at lonebilal346@gmail.com.