Kozhikode: Emergency angioplasty procedures at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital have come to a standstill. The life-saving treatment, crucial for patients admitted with heart attacks, has been disrupted due to the unavailability of essential medical supplies, including balloons and mesh wires required for stent placement.

The hospital owes more than ₹260 crore to pharmaceutical suppliers. Despite repeated appeals to the Health Minister and other authorities, no action has been taken to clear the arrears. In protest, wholesale suppliers have suspended the supply of medicines and medical devices, pushing the hospital into a crisis.

Doctors are in distress that the delay in conducting emergency angioplasty could lead to loss of lives. On Wednesday morning, patients arriving at the emergency department were informed of the situation. As an alternative, doctors have restarted administering thrombolysis injections, medication used to dissolve blood clots.

Even though if it is not a severe attack, this treatment should ideally be administered within two hours of the onset of symptoms. However, if patients are forced to seek treatment elsewhere after first reaching the Medical College, the critical “golden hour” will be lost.

On average, around 30 patients arrive at the emergency ward daily with heart-related emergencies, and more than half usually require immediate angioplasty. The crisis is not confined to the cardiology department alone, several other departments at the Medical College are also facing severe disruptions due to the suspension of medical equipment supplies.