J&K Bank dedicates mobile cardiac-care unit

Srinagar, Jan 1: Marking the first day of the New Year with a public welfare initiative, Jammu and Kashmir Bank on Wednesday dedicated a ‘Heart Clinic on Wheels’ for the people of Jammu and Kashmir under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

The bank’s Executive Director Sudhir Gupta handed over the keys of the fully equipped mobile cardiac-care unit to the Regional Head of Ummeed Foundation, Dr Zubair Saleem, in the presence of Chief General Manager Imtiyaz Ahmad, General Manager (CSR) Mohammad Muzaffar Wani, Deputy General Manager Hafeeza Rahim, senior cardiologist and Project Advisor Dr Khursheed Aslam Khan, and other senior officials at the bank’s corporate headquarters.

Implemented by Ummeed Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation with a nationwide presence and over a decade of experience in community healthcare and cardiac interventions, the project also includes training of community health workers, public awareness programmes on cardiac health, and the creation of a digital health registry to ensure follow-up and continuity of care.

Extending New Year greetings, Sudhir Gupta said the bank remains steadfast in its mission of serving to empower through people-centric interventions. “We are pleased to begin the year by making a tangible difference in people’s lives. Access to timely cardiac care can mean the difference between life and loss, particularly in geographically challenging regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Through the ‘Heart Clinic on Wheels’, the bank is facilitating doorstep access to critical healthcare services for those who need them the most,” he said.

He added that the initiative goes beyond treatment and places equal emphasis on prevention and awareness. “By combining screening, counselling, referrals and community outreach, the project addresses a critical healthcare gap while aligning with our CSR vision of inclusive and sustainable development,” he said.

Speaking about the mobile unit, Dr Khursheed Aslam Khan said it is equipped with advanced AI-enabled diagnostic systems that allow on-the-spot evaluation and real-time clinical decision-making, ensuring timely and evidence-based treatment. “The unit has life-saving emergency facilities, including a ventilator, defibrillator and essential cardiac support systems, enabling immediate stabilisation of patients,” he said, adding that wherever required, structured and rapid referrals to higher centres would be seamlessly coordinated to ensure continuity of advanced care.

The fully funded project aims to screen and diagnose over 5,000 people in its first year, focusing on elderly citizens, defence personnel and their families, and other high-risk individuals, while facilitating referrals and transport for advanced treatment where required. Over the coming years, the initiative is expected to benefit tens of thousands across the Union Territory.

Designed as a single-stop mobile cardiac emergency and diagnostic facility, the Heart Clinic on Wheels will take essential heart healthcare services to underserved populations in remote and border districts. The unit can conduct instant cardiac investigations, including ECG, Holter monitoring, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and rapid blood tests such as lipid profiling, enabling timely diagnosis and early intervention.

The initiative also supports key Sustainable Development Goals, including good health and well-being and reduction of inequalities, in line with the bank’s CSR focus areas.