NICVD told to establish 25 more chest pain units in Karachi

After successfully running four mobile and a fixed chest pain unit in Karachi since May last year, the Sindh government has directed the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) to establish 25 more such units in different parts of the city to save people having heart attacks, holding out the assurance that more funds would be provided to the cardiac-care hospital.

The NICVD administration was also told on Monday by the chief minister to establish 40 such chest pain units in 40 cities and towns of rural Sindh so that people having heart attacks could approach these centres for first aid and referrals to tertiary-care hospitals or facilities.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah gave these directives while presiding over the 77th Governing Body meeting of the NICVD and appreciated its mobile unit services through which 18,700 patients having chest pain were examined and given first aid.

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, MPA Dr Sohrab Sarki, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho, JPMC Executive Director Dr Seemin Jamali, NICVD Executive Director Dr Nadeem Qamar, Arif Habib and others.

Briefing the board, Dr Nadeem Qamar said that the NICVD had launched five mobile chest pain units in Gulshan-e-Iqbal in May, Gulbai in July, Malir in July and Nagan Chowarngi in November.

He added that 18,700 patients, including 13,661 male and 5,039 female patients, were examined by doctors and relevant staff deployed on the mobile units. He maintained that among the 18,700 patients, 8,399 were cardiac patients, 10,201 were non-cardiac, while 8,904 patients were referred to the NICVD and 9,796 were discharged.

Chief Minister Shah directed Dr Qamar to deploy 25 more units in the city and 40 units in rural areas of the province. “This is proving to be a best, free-of-cost and approachable service for poor and helpless patients,” he said.

He was told that the NICVD Satellite Centre in Larkana was made functional on May 13, 2017, and that satellite had benefited 704 patients, including performing 91 angiographies, 160 early invasive, four elective PCI and 499 primary PCIs. He added that weekly pediatric OPD was conducted there.

The chief minister on the pointation of the NICVD executive director said that he would provide necessary funds for the completion of the remaining construction work of the satellite centre in Larkana.

Giving details of the NICVD Satellite Centre in Tando Mohammad Khan, Dr Qamar said that it was started on October 19, 2017 and so far 303 patients had benefited from it. He added that 80 angiographies, 101 early invasive, nine elective PCI and 114 primary PCI procedures had been performed there. He said both adult and paediatric OPDS and ECHOs were also being performed on a regular basis.

Giving details of the NICVD Hyderabad, he told the board that it started functioning on November 25, 2017 and so far it had performed all 88 procedures, including 88 angiographies, 10 early invasive, two elective PCIs and 69 primary PCIs.

The chief minister directed Dr Qamar to put up a request for funds for the Hyderabad satellite. The chief minister and the board members appreciated the services of the NICVD and also allowed the hospital to fill its vacant positions of specialists and other staff.