Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Apr 24: Recent health data from Dakshina Kannada (DK) has revealed a staggering increase in heart attack cases across the district, with a 120% surge in total cases reported over the last year.

According to a comparative report between Period 1 (April 2024 – March 2025) and Period 2 (April 2025 – February 2026), the total number of cardiac emergencies, including STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) and other myocardial infarctions (MI), has more than doubled.

The District Wenlock Hospital recorded the highest volume of cases, jumping from 1,752 in the first period to 3,320 in the second. Notably, STEMI cases at the hospital surged from 400 to 908, while other MI cases rose from 1,352 to 2,412. Taluk-level hospitals also reported a significant rise in heart attacks, with Bantwal taluk hospital seeing cases increase from 552 to 850, Sullia Taluk Hospital from 664 to 720, and Beltangady taluk hospital from 310 to 350.

The consolidated data for Period 2 also factored in private hospitals, which recorded a substantial 1,972 cases, including 1,056 STEMI and 916 other MI cases. When comparing the overall totals, the district saw cases jump from 3,278 in Period 1 to a massive 7,212 in Period 2. The report highlights a ‘+120% total case increase’, a trend health officials are viewing with serious concern.