SSKM first govt hosp to use dual-chamber leadless pacemaker
Times of India | 12 March 2026
Kolkata: Doctors at IPGMER & SSKM Hospital implanted a leadless dual-chamber pacemaker in a 66-year-old at Ananya, the facility for private patients, on Tuesday. While private hospitals started using the device after its India launch last Oct, sources said this was the first time a govt hospital in India has used it. The patient from Durgapur is doing well and will be discharged.
Aveir DR is the world's first leadless dual-chamber pacemaker. Ananya launched by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee about a month before the device's launch, with an attempt to offer corporate-like facilities at a lower charge.
Doctors said Asim Singha Chowdhury had been suffering from tachybrady syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder that often caused him to faint. "I read about Ananya in newspapers, and about cardiologist Saroj Madal, who received the Padmashree. I came to SSKM to check with the doctor," Chowdhury said. "The advantages of this device include no chance of infection, no scar, and a long shelf life," said Mondal, a cardiology associate professor.
While the total cost at a private facility could go up to Rs 25 lakh, it cost Rs 17 lakh at Ananya. "I am thankful to the govt for setting up such a facility in a govt hospital. In addition to the lower cost, the service and care I got was excellent," Chowdhury said.