28 September,2026 11:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The project has recorded a significant increase in the number of ECGs conducted over the years. Representational Pic/File/iStock
Maharashtra's flagship STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) Project has conducted nearly 57.91 lakh free ECGs across the state and identified 34,032 critical STEMI cases, according to state health department data.
The initiative uses cloud-based technology to provide expert ECG interpretation in under four minutes, helping doctors at government health facilities identify heart attacks and begin treatment quickly.
The project follows a hub-and-spoke model connecting rural and district-level healthcare facilities with hospitals equipped to provide advanced cardiac treatment.
An official statement said that the government hospitals, rural hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) serve as spoke facilities. Patients showing symptoms of a heart attack undergo a free, software-enabled ECG, which is uploaded to the cloud for expert interpretation.
If the ECG confirms a heart attack, doctors can begin thrombolysis at the local facility under expert guidance before transferring the patient to a specialised hospital, it said.
Empanelled medical colleges, private hospitals and charitable hospitals with cardiac catheterisation laboratories serve as hub hospitals.
Patients transferred from spoke facilities can receive procedures such as angiography and angioplasty free of cost under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), the official statement said.
The system is designed to reduce delays between the onset of a heart attack, diagnosis and treatment, particularly for patients in rural areas.
The project was initially launched in 12 districts with 39 hub hospitals and 145 spoke facilities.
In March 2024, it was expanded to another 22 districts, excluding Mumbai city and its suburban districts. The network subsequently grew to include hundreds of government health facilities and PHCs.
An additional 179 health centres were integrated into the project in 2025. The state network now has 2,415 spoke facilities and 96 hub hospitals, according to the figures provided by the health department.
The project has recorded a significant increase in the number of ECGs conducted over the years.
In 2020-21, 3,369 ECGs were conducted and 30 critical STEMI cases were identified. The number of ECGs increased to more than 23.39 lakh in 2025-26, when 13,097 critical STEMI cases were detected.
During the current financial year, 15,38,558 ECGs had been conducted till September 27, 2026, with 8,401 critical STEMI cases identified.
The data:
| Operational year | ECGs conducted | Critical STEMI cases |
| 2020-21 | 3,369 | 30 |
| 2021-22 | 1,04,479 | 1,003 |
| 2022-23 | 3,35,099 | 2,782 |
| 2023-24 | 3,96,706 | 2,642 |
| 2024-25 | 10,73,174 | 6,077 |
| 2025-26 | 23,39,578 | 13,097 |
| 2026-27, till Sept 27 | 15,38,558 | 8,401 |
| Total | 57,90,963 | 34,032 |
To support the project, the Maharashtra government entered into a five-year agreement with technology company Tricog Health Pvt. Ltd.
The company provides software-enabled ECG machines, consumables and cloud-based ECG analysis services under the programme.
The project is aimed at reducing the time taken to diagnose heart attacks and enabling patients, particularly those in rural areas, to receive treatment or be transferred to specialised cardiac centres without unnecessary delays.
