Mumbai witnessed over 27k cardiac deaths in two years

Mumbai: As many as 27,584 people in Mumbai have died of heart diseases or heart attacks between 2019 and 2021 across 24 wards of the city, revealed the reply to a Right To Information (RTI) application filed by activist Shaikh Faiyaz Alam. On an average, 9,000 people succumbed to heart attacks or related diseases between these years. 

A heart attack or a myocardial infarction refers to a blockage or a blood clot being formed within the arteries, which blocks blood flow to the heart. Notably, the number of such deaths witnessed a marginal drop in each ward during two years of Covid. However, senior health officials reasoned that during pandemic, deaths from heart attack were considered as Covid fatalities due to co-morbidities. 

Area-wise count

As per the data, E ward (Byculla, Madanpura) recorded 2,076 heart-related deaths followed by F-North ward (Sion, Wadala 1,934), F-South (Parel, Sewri 1,802), P-North (Malad 1,734), R-South (Kandivali 1,423), N ward (Ghatkopar 1,316) and D ward (Marine Drive, Pedder Road 1,217).

“The wards with over 1,500 heart-related deaths have more number of civic hospitals. Hence, patients from across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Maharashtra come for treatment to these areas. As they are registered at the civic hospitals, so their place of death is considered Mumbai in case of fatality,” said the health official. For instance, E ward, which comprises Byculla and Madapura, has one state-run JJ Hospital and another civic-run BYL Nair Hospital so patients with heart ailments get admitted to either of these hospitals, the official added.

Factors to be noted

He pointed out that there are several factors which need to be analysed before jumping to the conclusion that few wards have witnessed more heart attack deaths. “There is a procedure through which a patient's history and complete profile is being checked. Even if the deceased is not from Mumbai, the death gets added to city data as the patient was admitted to civic-run hospitals,” he said.

Senior health official said every year around 25,000-30,000 people die of heart-related ailments in Mumbai. However, the numbers which have been provided are of only civic-run hospitals. “Three factors which might be the main reasons for these deaths are classification of fatalities, delay in diagnosis and thrombosis (blood clotting) post-Covid,” he said, adding that deeper analysis is needed to understand the crux of the matter.

Death among young adults

A senior cardiologist from a private hospital said, “Unfortunately, many young people are getting heart attacks which go unnoticed in our country. The cases of heart attack have gone up by 15% to 20% in the past two months. The reasons behind young adults suffering heart attacks are diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, air pollution, stress, heavy workout, steroids etc.”

Also, Indians are genetically prone to develop heart attacks. On top of that, adoption of western lifestyle which leads to further mutation in that defective gene makes Indians more prone to heart attacks, he added. 

Deaths between 2019 and 2021

27,584

Average of deaths

9,000

Highest no. of deaths in Byculla, Madanpura

2,076

Lowest no. of deaths Marine Drive, Pedder Road 

1,217

In between

Sion, Wadala 

1,934

Parel, Sewri 

1,802

Malad 1,734

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