Inaugurated by Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar and Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro, the city’s first 'Outreach Chest Pain Unit' was opened for public on Monday.
Established in a specially redesigned container placed under the Gulshan Chowrangi flyover, the unit has been set up in collaboration with the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).
Equipped with necessary machinery as well as a doctor, a nurse and a technician, the outreach unit would provide round-the-clock emergency treatment and consultancy to heart patients.
Those found to be in need of further treatment would be referred to the NICVD and the patient’s report would be sent to the hospital prior to his or her arrival.
The NICVD plans to establish seven such units in different areas of the city, specifically under busy flyovers that connect different areas of the city but are far away from the cardiac centre’s main premises.
So far the locations decided are the Gulbai and Quaidabad flyovers, whereas locations for four more units would soon be decided in consultation with city authorities.
Dr Mandhro while speaking at the inauguration, claimed that the present provincial government was striving hard to serve citizens without any discrimination, and in this regard quality facilities were being added to Karachi’s health infrastructure.
He said the cardiovascular units were being set up in crowded areas of the city where the people would be provided with the facilities free of charge.
Commenting on the outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus, Chikungunya, in Karachi, the health minister urging people to take precautionary measures said the disease neither had a vaccine nor any treatment.
However, the city mayor deplored the fact that health facilities available in Karachi were far less compared to its population.
Speaking specifically of cardiac ailments, Akhtar said that the city needed more hospitals like the NICVD in each and every district of the city.
“In case of a heart attack, the first few minutes are of immense importance for the patient, and if during this time the sufferer is given first aid, his life can be saved,” he said.
Akhtar thanked the NICVD for establishing the cardiovascular unit. He urged people living in nearby areas to bring people to the cardiac unit in case of even a suspicion.
He asked people to be patient as it would take some time for the situation to improve, adding, that gradually the city would get more health facilities.
The mayor hoped that with the establishment of the makeshift cardiac unit, burden on tertiary-care hospitals would reduce.
Waseem Akhtar also thanked the Sindh Health Department for cooperating with municipal authorities, hoping that the collaboration would continue in future.
Sindh Secretary Health Dr Fazlullah Pechuhu, Amin Hashwani of the Hashwani Group of Companies, NICVD Executive Director Prof Nadeem Qamar and others also spoke on the occasion.
