Bengaluru, Aug 18 : Karnataka Medical Education and Skill Development Minister Sharanaprakash R. Patil has appealed to the people of the state not to panic unnecessarily about the reports of rising heart attack cases.

He emphasised that lifestyle changes - such as regular exercise, pranayama, healthy diet, timely sleep and stress management - can prevent such health issues.

Responding to a question from Congress member Dinesh Gooligowda in the legislative council, Patil said that although concerns are rising, statistics show no significant increase compared to previous years.

'On average, 5 to 6 per cent of cases are heart-related, and this year the trend remains the same. Isolated incidents should not create fear among people,' he clarified.

He further said that causes like sedentary lifestyle, stress, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug abuse, and family history are major contributors to heart disease. He dismissed rumours linking post-COVID effects to heart attack cases, stating, 'There is no evidence of such a connection.'

A committee led by Dr. K.S. Ravindranath, director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, along with a task force from the health department, has already confirmed in its report that public fears are unfounded, he stated.

Minister Patil announced that the government has mandated the establishment of super-speciality hospitals in all district government hospitals. 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed the compulsory setup of these facilities, and many districts have already begun operations. Trauma centres will also be started alongside,' he said.

Super-speciality hospitals are already functional at Jayadeva Institutes in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Hubballi. New facilities in Bagalkote, Yadgir, and Raichur will start soon, while Bidar, Koppal, and Belagavi units are expected to be inaugurated within the next three months, Patil stated.

On July 7, the Karnataka Health Department declared sudden heart attack deaths among people below the age of 45 years as 'notifiable' based on a recommendation by the expert committee that was set up to study the link between Covid-19 vaccination and sudden cardiovascular events.

/IANS