Health minister opens new emergency dept, MRI at NICVD

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho Friday inaugurated the new emergency department and a newly installed Sola 1.5 T Cardiovascular MRI at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).

The new emergency department has been renovated with the financial assistance from local pharmaceutical firm Pharmevo, who provided over 20 million rupees for the renovation, installation of new equipment, beds and other necessities to facilitate patients brought to the NICVD due to cardiac emergencies, NICVD officials said.

Praising the donors, Dr Azra Pechuho said Pharmevo has helped with the renovation of the emergency department while another company has offered its services for the renovation of Out-Patient Department (OPD), which is a welcoming sign.

Deploring that inflation was all-time high and people were unable to bear the expenses of food and utilities, she said the Sindh government was trying to provide quality treatment facilities free of charge to the people of Sindh as well as those from other provinces.

The health minister maintained that the NICVD lacked paediatric oncology department but paediatric oncology services would soon be started at the NICVD. “The launch of these facilities represents a major stride in our efforts to enhance healthcare services in the region,” said Dr Pechuho. “The NICVD’s expansion and progress are vital to ensuring that patients receive the best possible care. I applaud the NICVD team for their dedication to excellence.”

Urging the people to improve their lifestyle, eat healthy food and exercise daily, she said prevention was the best cure as incidence of cardiovascular disease was all-time high in Pakistan.

On the occasion, she said the Chest Pain Unit (CPU) initiative taken by the NICVD was now being applauded all over the world and many other countries were trying to replicate this model in their crowded cities to save lives.

Executive Director NICVD Prof Tahir Saghir highlighted the NICVD’s remarkable progress and advancements in the field of cardiovascular diseases and its expansion throughout the Sindh province.

“The introduction of the Sola 1.5 T Cardiovascular MRI and the newly renovated emergency department marks a significant step forward in the NICVD’s ongoing mission to provide state-of-the-art cardiovascular care to the people of Sindh and beyond. These improvements reflect our commitment to excellence and our dedication to serving the community with the highest quality of medical care.”

Later, the health minister awarded a momento to Managing Director Pharmevo Haroon Qasim for the contribution in improving health facilities and also urged similar contributions to other health facilities, especially in rural Sindh.