IndiaHealth

Ground Reality: Why 21 Sudden Heart Attack Deaths in Hassan Have Locals on Edge

As youth collapse without warning, government orders probe; vaccine fears and rural health gaps dominate local chatter

Hassan, July 1: In tea stalls, autorickshaws, and village haats across Hassan, there’s only one thing people are talking about — young men collapsing on the spot, no warning, no second chance. Just last week, three deaths in a single day. All heart attacks. All under 40. It’s got people rattled. The kind of rattled that doesn’t leave you even when you’re just sitting at home, watching TV with your kids.

This isn’t some city panic or social media hoax. It’s real. Twenty-one deaths in 40 days, confirmed by the district health office. And most of them weren’t old or sick — they were delivery boys, teachers, construction workers. People like us. People who walk the same roads, eat from the same darshinis, work in the same fields.

Now, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stepped in. He’s ordered a proper probe, led by Dr. Ravindranath from Jayadeva Institute, to figure out what’s going on. They’ve been given 10 days to come back with answers. Not paperwork, but actual reasons.

Vaccine Fears or Lifestyle Crash?

At the heart of it all, there’s fear. People here are whispering—Is it the Covid vaccine? Others say it’s stress, pesticides, or this non-stop fast life creeping even into small towns. Siddaramaiah, for his part, didn’t hold back. In his tweet, he directly pointed fingers at the “hasty approval” of the vaccine rollout. Said the BJP should stop playing politics and think of the real consequences.

That bit? It’s sparked a fire. Some are angry. Some are relieved someone finally said what they were thinking. Many are just confused — unsure what to believe.

What Locals Are Seeing

I spoke to a paan shop owner in Holenarasipura whose 29-year-old cousin dropped dead while unloading crates at a mandi. “No sugar, no BP, nothing. Just chest pain. Gone in 10 minutes,” he said, eyes still wide. In Arsikere, a tuition teacher collapsed in the classroom. His students had to run for help. He didn’t make it.

Hospitals, especially government PHCs, are suddenly crowded with young men coming in for ECGs. Doctors are overworked and honestly, a little clueless. One told me, “Earlier, heart attacks meant 60s or 70s. Now it’s 25-30-year-olds. We can’t keep up.”

The Real Ground Trouble

This isn’t just about health reports or committee findings. It’s about access. In Hassan’s interiors, you’re lucky if an ambulance reaches in under 30 minutes. You’re luckier if the local PHC has ECG machines that actually work. And luckiest if the doctors are there when it happens. Many families just use herbal oil and prayer till it’s too late.

And let’s talk food — deep-fried everything, stress eating, cheap soft drinks in place of water. Farmers spraying pesticides with no gloves. Teenagers smoking beedis before breakfast. Nobody’s counting calories here. Not because they don’t care. Because they don’t know, or can’t afford to.

Then there’s the silent trauma post-Covid. People got infected, recovered, and moved on. But maybe the body didn’t. Maybe something stayed behind — damage we don’t see, until it’s too late.

People Want More Than Answers

In Hassan right now, people don’t just want a committee report. They want reassurance. They want ambulances that work, health camps that stay open past 5 PM, and real doctors — not just ASHAs with a BP machine. And most of all, they want to know they’re not being used as guinea pigs or forgotten until election season.

Siddaramaiah says schemes like Hridaya Jyothi and Gruha Arogya are already in place. Good. But they’ve got to reach past city limits. Because in places like Belur and Sakleshpur, help doesn’t come fast enough. It barely comes at all.

The expert team will submit their report in 10 days. That’s the hope. But for now, people here are doing what they’ve always done — worrying quietly, looking after each other, and waiting for someone in power to stop talking, and start fixing.


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Author Profile
Ratnakar Mavilach
Chief Editor at  | Web

Ratnakar Mavilach is a seasoned journalist and digital media strategist with 10+ years of experience in politics, geopolitics, and current affairs. Founder of ventures like Hinglishgram and Debonair Magazine’s revival, he leads Hindustan Herald with sharp editorial vision, domain depth, and a relentless focus on impactful storytelling.

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