Abstract

Background: India is the most populous country in the world and has a high prevalence of non–communicable diseases. The treatment of heart disease is very difficult because of lesser number of cardiac hospitals in India; less number of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and cardiac anaesthetists; and cost is very high. In the present survey, we tried to find out the cost of treatment of heart disease in India, what are the factors for the increase cost and what corrective measures could be adopted to resolve the issue. Method: The data and information were collected from literatures, internet Google search and authors’ experience. Result: The cost of heart surgery and catheterisation procedures in India is very high and ranges from 60000 to 30-40 lakhs rupees. The cost is higher in private hospitals. The cost of treating heart disease is cheaper in Government hospitals. Very few Government hospitals are doing limited heart surgeries and catheterization procedures at free of cost. However, the numbers of hospitals are very few resulting long waiting time. The hospitals for heart surgery and procedures are mainly at tier 1 and 2 cities. Conclusion: Cardiovascular disease imposes a substantial economic burden on patients, families, and the healthcare system in India. Although the country performs a large number of cardiac procedures annually, access to affordable and timely treatment remains inadequate. Expansion of cardiac infrastructure, comprehensive insurance coverage, indigenous production of medical devices, and stronger preventive healthcare programmes are essential to reduce costs and improve outcomes for patients with heart disease.

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Data Sharing Statement

Funding