Heart problems are on the rise in India owing to increasing population and there is a growing public awareness regarding heart diseases. Modern lifestyle has also played a significant role in the increased number of cardiological ailments in the urban regions and on the other hand, lack of timely treatment is a major concern in the rural areas. However, compared to the cities, medical treatment options are less in rural areas and people are also unable to afford proper healthcare due to financial constraints.

This is a major problem that was observed by Dr. Mohammed Asif S as he started dedicating his knowledge and expertise majorly towards the treatment of the poor as he believes that financial constraints must never come in the way of treatment. He currently operates from his own clinic in Hyderabad which does not differentiate between patients who walk in.

Growth Story
Dr. Asif started his journey in the medical field from the year 2002, completed MBBS from Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur. During his MBBS course, he has been awarded distinctions as well as a gold medal. After that he got selected in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical college in UP and did his MD is general medicine from there from 2009-2012. Since beginning, Dr. Asif was very passionate about Cardiology. After completing MD, he served for two years as a senior resident surgeon at the reputed Aligarh Muslim University.

In 2014 he got selected in the field of cardiology through all India ranking in LPS Institute of Cardiology, Kanpur. Only in 2017, he completed practice and gained experience in the field and was awarded as an influential cardiologist. “Since 2017, I have been practicing in Hyderabad as one of the trusted cardiologists in the city. Currently, I am practicing with over 14 years of experience in

cardiology and I execute simple to complicated procedures that few cardiologists can perform. My goal has always been to serve the poorest of the poor who are unable to avail accurate cardiological treatments. It is my belief that financial problems should not come in the way of treatment. I am also a member of European Society of Cardiology and American College of Cardiology. Apart from that I am also a member of Cardiological Society of India”, he says.

During his school days, Dr. Asif’s family was not at all privileged and had difficulty in arranging daily meals for themselves. That struggle in life inspired the determination in him and he pledged to come out this situation and uplift his family status as well. “This could only be achieved through education. I was convinced about the fact that medical field is a very novel one and I realized this as early as class 12. It is one of those professions where I can be of service to the population and in the process I will prosper myself. I wanted to be of service to the humanity and that feeling primarily motivated me to become a cardiologist”, he adds.

I am practicing with over 14 years of experience in cardiology & I execute simple to complicated procedures that few cardiologists can perform

Overcoming Challenges
The primary challenge that is faced by cardiologists in India is the lack of timely treatment of the patient. It is only because of that, it sometimes happens that the system is unable to save the patient despite treatment. In order to find a solution to this problem, Dr. Asif tries to organize campaigns and create awareness in the public about availing timely treatments in case of cardiological problems. He tries to make them understand that prompt and early treatment is always better in case of any health problems. Another challenge faced is how accurate can treatment be under given circumstances. In case of any maltreatment, escalations can be problematic for the physician as well as the patient. For this issue, experience and dedication towards work is utmost necessary.

Following a Patient Centric Approach
Patient orientation is one of the important aspects of treatment in this case. A physician needs to make the patient understand about the problems and the probable treatments that can be offered. This clarity in understanding brings about the ease of treatment from both ends. It is very important whether a physician is able to make them clearly understand about the disease which they will be treated for. Because every patient is different and is having a different mentality, the approach is also varied.

“We need to explain the problem in their own language so that they are able to understand what is going wrong and how early the treatment needs to be executed in order to avoid any further trouble. Patients are able to contact me and my team of physicians at any point of time 24/7. Currently I am operating from my own clinic in Hyderabad that is called Meds Super specialty Hospital. It was established this in the year 2020 and I hope to take it ahead with hard work and dedication”, he concludes.