US-based cardiologist Dr Swaiman Singh, who emerged as a prominent face of the farmers’ protest while extending medical support to agitating farmers, has returned to Punjab four years later with a different mission — addressing the state’s growing cardiovascular health crisis.
Leading a 20-member team of doctors from the US, Dr Singh undertook a month-long tour across Punjab, organising health camps, awareness drives and seminars on heart health. After traversing the length and breadth of the state, the team’s conclusion was clear: lifestyle diseases aren’t the only problem.
Dr Swaiman Singh said, “During the year-long Zira Morcha, when our teams worked extensively on the ground, we closely studied the health impact of water on residents of the area, including the role of the polluting industrial unit. We found that Punjab’s groundwater is heavily contaminated with toxins and heavy metals such as uranium, selenium and lead.
These heavy metals are cardio toxic and are among the major contributors to the rising incidence of heart disease in the state. While heavy metal contamination is commonly associated with cancer, cardiac ailments are often attributed solely to lifestyle factors such as unhealthy diets and lack of exercise. However, contaminated water plays a significant role in it.”
A former Assistant Professor at the Mayo Clinic, Dr Swaiman Singh lost his position after his prolonged stay in India during the farmers’ protest. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis, specialising in interventional advanced heart failure, cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support.
Dr Singh is also the founder and president of the NGO 5 Rivers Heart Association, under whose banner he has been conducting health outreach programmes across Punjab’s villages. His team remained on the ground for an extended period during the floods in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala, organising health camps and emerging among the last NGOs and medical teams to wind up relief operations. Going forward, Dr Singh said his focus is on establishing an advanced heart institute in Punjab, for which he is in discussions with the state government and has already submitted a proposal. Alongside this, he plans to intensify public awareness campaigns on heart health across the state.
Dr Swaiman Singh said, “It is often said that Punjab’s heart disease burden is not as high as the national average. However, a large number of cases remain undiagnosed, resulting in significant under-reporting of cardiac ailments. In many instances, the possible link between groundwater contamination and heart disease is not even examined. Our organisation’s objective is to undertake intensive grassroots work on this issue. We have also submitted a proposal to the state Health Minister for setting up a medical school on the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The aim is to provide diagnosis and treatment at costs comparable to government hospitals while offering state-of-the-art facilities on par with those available in the US. My current visit was supported by the University of California to study cardiovascular health in Punjab. Going forward, I plan to visit the state every year, spending anywhere between one and six months here to continue this work,” he said.
Dr Swaiman Singh said he has proposed five alternative sites for the proposed heart institute, based on offers of land donations. The shortlisted locations include Chappiawali village, Sarabha village, Sursing village near Valtoha, a site in Rajasthan offered through Baba Balbir Singh of the Buddha Dal and a 50-acre-plus of land in Jalandhar offered by the Sarai family, opposite Jhangi Azadi.
During his month-long visit to India in June, Dr Singh travelled to Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Zirakpur, Malout, Tarn Taran—including his in-laws’ village, Pakhoke—and Bathinda. Besides conducting health camps and awareness programmes, he interacted with doctors, addressed seminars at medical colleges and healthcare institutions, and met leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers’ organisations and religious groups to discuss environmental concerns and public health issues affecting the state.
