Srinagar, April 11, 2025 – Renowned cardiologist Dr. Upendra Kaul has launched a pioneering initiative, the “Heart Clinic on Wheels,” aimed at delivering critical cardiac care to remote areas of South Kashmir, including Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam districts. The mobile heart clinic, inaugurated on April 10 in Hawal village, Pulwama, is a first-of-its-kind project designed to bridge healthcare gaps in underserved regions and save lives through timely intervention.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Gauri Kaul Foundation (GKF) in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), is part of Dr. Kaul’s ambitious “No Heart Attack” mission. The mobile clinic is equipped with advanced diagnostic tools, including ECG, portable echocardiography with Doppler, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and point-of-care blood tests to detect heart failure, heart muscle injury, diabetes, and other critical conditions. These facilities enable comprehensive, non-invasive heart assessments on the spot.
Beyond adult care, the mobile clinic will conduct school surveys to screen children aged 5 to 15 for rheumatic and congenital heart diseases, as well as obesity, offering counseling on diet and exercise to promote long-term health. Dr. Kaul emphasized the project’s dual focus: immediate cardiac care for adults and preventive measures for the younger generation. “This is a humble beginning to ensure no one in remote areas is left without access to quality heart care,” he said during the launch.
The clinic plans to visit Ayushman wellness centers, examining 100 patients per district and providing starter medical kits. Follow-up visits every three months will monitor patient progress, with reports submitted to authorities to ensure accountability and impact.
Funded with equipment worth Rs 78 lakh from IOC, the initiative builds on GKF’s prior work, including telemedicine centers in Machil, Srinagar, Pulwama, and Jammu. Dr. Kaul called for partnerships with NGOs and government bodies to expand the project’s reach, stressing that collaborative efforts are key to transforming healthcare access in Kashmir.
The launch has been hailed as a game-changer for South Kashmir, where access to specialized medical care is limited, offering hope for early detection and treatment of heart conditions in vulnerable communities.