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GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
RAJYASABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3631
TO BE ANSWERED ON 24TH MARCH, 2026
PREVENTION OFSUDDEN CARDIAC ARRESTS AMONG YOUTH
3631. SHRI RAJINDER GUPTA:
Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government has taken note of the rise in sudden cardiac arrests among young
adults, includingreports that over 57 per centof sudden deaths occur amongpersons aged
18–45 years, and the steps taken thereon;
(b) whether there is a proposal to extend preventive cardiac screening for citizens above
18-years and integrate it with PM-JAY;
(c) the number of persons trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, year-wise and
State/UT-wise, and whether CPR training will be made mandatory in
institutions/workplaces;
(d) whether installation of Automated External Defibrillators in high-footfall public
places is proposed; and
(e) the steps taken to strengthen district-level cardiac care and follow-up systems?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) and (b) The Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, provides
technical and financial support to the States/UTs under the National Programme for
Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), as part of National
Health Mission (NHM), based on the proposals received from the States/UTs and subject
to the resource envelope. Cardiovascular Disease is an integral part of NP-NCD. The
programme focusses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development,
health promotion & awareness generation for prevention, early diagnosis, management
and referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for treatment of the Non-
Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including Cardiovascular Diseases. Under NP-NCD,
770 District NCD Clinics, 233 Cardiac Care Units, and 6410 Community Health Center
NCD Clinics have been setup.A population-based initiative for prevention, control and screening for common NCDs
has been rolled out in the country under NHM and also as a part of Comprehensive
Primary Health Care. Under the initiative, persons more than 30 years of age are targeted
for their screening. Screening of these common NCDs is an integral part of service
delivery under Ayushman Arogya Mandir. Further, eligible beneficiaries can avail
secondary and tertiary cardiac care services under Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri
Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
(c) Ministry undertakes trainings of healthcare workers including doctors, nurses,
paramedics on National Emergency Life Support (NELS) courses which includes basics
of first aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) through Human Resource
Development for Emergency Medical Services.
(d) Health is a State subject, installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
in public places is primarily falls under purview of States/UTs Governments. The Central
Government encourages States/UTs for strengthening of emergency response systems,
including availability of life-saving equipment at public places.
(e) Strengthening of district-level healthcare, including cardiac care, is being
undertaken under NP-NCD, which provide comprehensive primary healthcare services,
including screening, early diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of cardiovascular diseases.
In addition, support is provided for strengthening district hospitals and referral linkages
for advanced cardiac care under the National Health Mission (NHM).
To manage acute cardiac events a hub-and-spoke model has been implemented. District
hospitals and Community Health Centers (spokes) are equipped to provide initial
thrombolysis and stabilization, while tertiary hospitals and medical colleges (hubs) offer
advanced interventions. Ambulance services, telemedicine platforms and streamlined
referral pathways further enhance access.