Why one of Australia’s most experienced heart specialists chose Townsville
Opposite Mater Hospital in the Townsville suburb of Pimlico sits a cardiology practice that reflects the journey of the doctor behind it. Pulse Cardiac Care is where interventional cardiologist Dr Udaya Prashant Ponangi now sees patients, having built a career that has taken him from some of India’s leading medical institutions to regional Australia.
The name of the practice carries its own story. Dr Ponangi chose Pulse because of a pulsatile-flow method he developed early in his career, a fluid mechanics innovation that led to a patent and ultimately inspired both the practice’s identity and logo. It is a reminder of a career built on understanding how the heart functions, why it fails, and how modern medicine can restore it.
His journey began thousands of kilometres away.
Dr Ponangi completed his MBBS and MD in General Medicine at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry, one of India’s most competitive medical institutions. He later completed his DM in Cardiology at Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, one of India’s oldest and most respected medical schools.
By the time he considered moving to Australia, he was already an established consultant cardiologist and had served as a Head of Department. He also worked as part of a team under the guidance of renowned cardiologist Dr Soma Raju and other senior colleagues.
But arriving in Australia meant beginning again.
The years of experience and seniority he had earned overseas were not recognised under Australia’s specialist accreditation system. Instead of stepping into a consultant role, he returned to training as a registrar before progressing to fellowship positions. For a period, he also worked as a cardiac sonographer, earning less than many junior doctors while working towards specialist recognition.
“You do it because the qualification matters, and because the patients on the other side of it matter more.”
It was a decision that required years of persistence, but one he believes was worthwhile.
The long road through Perth
Dr Ponangi’s Australian training covered almost every aspect of modern cardiology.
He completed two years of Interventional Cardiology Fellowship before undertaking an Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Fellowship at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth. He then completed an Imaging Fellowship at Mount Hospital, where he trained under cardiologists Lawrence Dembo and David Playford, developing expertise in advanced echocardiography and cardiac imaging.
Those fellowships added to an already extensive clinical background and equipped him with expertise across complex coronary intervention, advanced cardiac imaging, heart failure management and transplant medicine.
Over the course of his career in Australia and overseas, he has performed more than 10,000 coronary procedures, including diagnostic and interventional procedures, experience gained in high-volume cardiac centres where rapid decision-making is often critical to patient outcomes.
Why Townsville?
For many internationally trained specialists, Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane would appear the obvious destinations.
Dr Ponangi instead chose Townsville.
North Queensland faces unique challenges in cardiovascular care. The region has high rates of heart disease, compounded by its geography, large regional population and longstanding health inequities affecting Indigenous communities. Patients requiring complex cardiac procedures have often needed to travel long distances for specialist treatment, adding time, cost and stress during medical emergencies.
Dr Ponangi believed many of those services could be provided locally.
Pulse Cardiac Care now offers a comprehensive diagnostic service that includes advanced echocardiography with strain imaging, stress echocardiography, exercise stress testing, 24-hour Holter monitoring and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
His responsibilities extend well beyond private practice. He also serves as a Staff Specialist Cardiologist at Townsville University Hospital and as a Visiting Medical Officer at Mater Hospital, allowing him to care for patients across both the public and private health systems. Alongside his clinical work, he is a Senior Lecturer at James Cook University, helping train the next generation of doctors in North Queensland.
Holding senior roles in public health, private practice and academia simultaneously is uncommon, but Dr Ponangi says each complements the other. Together, they allow him to provide continuity of care while contributing to medical education and expanding specialist services within the region.
His clinical interests include complex coronary interventions, heavily calcified coronary artery disease, unexplained syncope, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and advanced heart failure.
He has also authored a book on unexplained syncope and published research as first author in leading journals including JACC: Case Reports and BMJ Case Reports. His published work also includes research into coronary guide-catheter technology, rotational atherectomy and transcatheter aortic valve repair.
The trials bringing tomorrow’s treatments to North Queensland
One of the features that distinguishes Dr Ponangi’s practice is its involvement in international cardiovascular research.
Dr Ponangi is a cardiologist with a passion for clinical trials and serves as Principal Investigator on international multicentre cardiovascular studies. Current studies include ARTEMIS, HERMES and EZ-EF, while two additional trials, ZENITH and AMBIENCE, are expected to commence shortly.
For patients in North Queensland, the value of that work extends beyond academic research. Participation in clinical trials can provide eligible patients with access to emerging therapies and treatment approaches years before they become part of routine clinical practice. It also allows people living in regional Australia to access research opportunities that have traditionally been concentrated in metropolitan hospitals.
Running international clinical trials in a regional setting requires considerable clinical, regulatory and administrative commitment, but Dr Ponangi believes it is an important part of ensuring patients receive the best available care close to home.
A commitment beyond the consulting room
Dr Ponangi’s contribution to the community extends beyond his clinical appointments.
Pulse Cardiac Care is the only private cardiology practice in Townsville that provides free specialist cardiology services to Indigenous patients through the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service.
He credits much of the practice’s success to his small team, particularly sonographer Kellie and practice administrator Erin, whose work supports the day-to-day operation of the clinic.
For Dr Ponangi, providing free care to Indigenous patients reflects a belief that quality healthcare should be accessible to those who need it most, regardless of financial circumstances.
Outside medicine, he remains actively involved in Townsville’s Hindu community and regularly attends Indian cultural events, including India Fest. For many Indian-Australian families across North Queensland, he is not only a specialist cardiologist but also someone who understands their cultural background and community.
Away from work, he enjoys running, hiking, badminton and playing the piano. He also has a long-standing interest in philosophy and values spending time travelling through remote parts of Australia, pursuits that provide balance to a profession where decisions often carry life-changing consequences.
Building a career twice
The figure of more than 10,000 coronary procedures is more than a measure of experience.
Each procedure represents a patient undergoing diagnostic investigation or treatment for a cardiac condition and a series of clinical decisions made by the cardiologist. Over decades of practice in Australia and overseas, that accumulated experience has shaped Dr Ponangi into one of the country’s most experienced interventional cardiologists.
His career also tells another story.
After arriving in Australia as an established specialist, he accepted the challenge of rebuilding his professional standing from the ground up. Years spent retraining, working in junior roles and earning specialist recognition eventually led him to establish a practice in a regional city where advanced cardiac services were needed.
Today, through Pulse Cardiac Care, his public hospital appointments, university teaching and international clinical research, Dr Ponangi has helped expand the range of specialist cardiac care available in North Queensland.
For patients across Townsville and surrounding communities, that means access to highly specialised expertise without travelling to a capital city. It also reflects the contribution internationally trained specialists continue to make to Australia’s healthcare system, bringing global experience to communities where it can have the greatest impact.
PULSE CARDIAC CARE
- Director: Dr Udaya Prashant Ponangi, Interventional Cardiologist
- Address: 2/34 Fulham Road, Pimlico QLD 4812 (opp Mater Hospital)
- Phone: 07 4766 8381
- Hours: Mon & Fri 8:30am–4:30pm | Tue 8:30am–3:30pm | Wed & Thu 8:30am–12:30pm
- Services: Echocardiography, exercise stress testing, 24-hour Holter monitoring, angiogram, angioplasty & stenting
- Website: pulsecardiaccare.com
- Emergency: Dr Ponangi is available daily at Mater Hospital for cardiac emergencies
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