‘Heart Health Awareness’ Program Focuses on Indian American Community
The Indian American community-focused program was jointly developed by Dr. Vemuri S. Murthy, chairman of the Board of the Chicago Medical Society and founder of the Chicago Medical Society Community Bystander CPR project “SMILE” (Saving More Illinois Lives through Education), in association with Dr. Srinivas Ramaka, an eminent cardiologist from Telangana, India. (photo provided)
The Chicago Indian Consulate organized a Heart Health Awareness and Community ‘Saving Lives’ Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation program at the Indian Consulate in Chicago Dec. 15 for the benefit of Indian Americans.
The Indian American community-focused program was jointly developed by Dr. Vemuri S. Murthy, chairman of the Board of the Chicago Medical Society and founder of the Chicago Medical Society Community Bystander CPR project “SMILE” (Saving More Illinois Lives through Education), in association with Dr. Srinivas Ramaka, an eminent cardiologist from Telangana, India.
The program was attended by several members of the Indian American community, leaders of medical organizations, and diplomats of the Indian Consulate, staff, and families, according to a press release.
Inaugurating the program, Consul General Amit Kumar spoke on the importance of Indo-U.S. healthcare partnerships to reduce morbidity and mortality due to heart disease and the major role of the Indian American community in strengthening these affiliations through jointly developed innovative projects.
As an example, he referred to the Heart Rescue India project, recently implemented successfully with Indo-U.S. collaboration, involving the University of Illinois College of Medicine and UI Health, Chicago, and Ramaiah Medical College in Bengaluru with a grant from Medtronic. He congratulated the Indian physician community for their ongoing contributions to the Indian and U.S. healthcare sector.
Murthy gave a presentation on global heart disease, heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest with a special focus on Indians and Indian Americans. He spoke of the programs needed to improve the survival and outcomes during cardiac emergencies via community awareness, prevention, early recognition, and timely intervention.
