Map guide for heart attack patients released

Chinese medical experts released a map guide to help patients with sudden heart attack seek treatment as quickly as possible on Tuesday.

The map covers 669 hospitals in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities that are best equipped to deal with heart attack, so people who display symptoms, such as acute chest pain, can choose the nearest one to get treatment.

The map was jointly released by several medical organizations, including the China Association for Disaster and Emergency Rescue Medicine and the China Cardiovascular Association.

Ge Junbo, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and chairman of the China Cardiovascular Association, said it is crucial that patients having a heart attack be transferred for rescue within the shortest time possible to increase their chances of survival and recovery.

Chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, have become the top health threats to Chinese in recent years. The number of cardiovascular disease patients in China is estimated at 290 million, and the number is still rising rapidly, according to a report released by China's National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in January.