‘5,000 lives saved in a year at NICVD chest pain units’

The lives of more than 5,000 people having heart attacks were saved at the seven chest pain units (CPUs) of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) at Karachi’s various intersections and busy spots during the last one year as the patients were provided timely first aid there before being dispatched to the institute for further treatment.

“These seven chest pain units of the NICVD in Karachi have emerged as the world’s most successful and unique cardiac-emergency program where the lives of over five thousand people were saved in a year who could not reach any public or private hospital on time,” Executive Director NICVD Prof Nadeem Qamar said while speaking at the Nagan Chowrangi Chest Pain Unit on Thursday.

On this occasion, Prof Nadeem Qamar along with eminent cardiac surgeon Dr Pervez Chaudhry and other NICVD staff cut cakes on the completion of one year of the unit and felicitated its staff on saving hundreds of lives by working day and night at one of the busiest intersections of the city.

Prof Qamar said the chest pain units were among the “most popular” health facilities in Karachi, where hundreds of people were visiting on a monthly basis and they were provided quality cardiac-care services, consultation and advice free of charge.

During the last one year, more than 116,000 people visited the seven units and got themselves examined by cardiologists and technicians, he said, adding that around 5,000 of them were having heart attacks and received timely first aid from the doctors, who sent them to the NICVD where primary PCI or angioplasty was performed on them to save their lives.

Since November 22, 2017, as many as 1,7042 people suffering chest pain had visited the Nagan Chowrangi CPU, of which 969 people had actually been having heart attacks and they were not only provided first aid but were referred to the NICVD, Prof Qamar noted.

“As soon as a person with heart attack reaches our chest pain unit, he is given immediate first aid and dispatched to the main NICVD for the further treatment.” He urged people to visit the nearest CPU in case of any heart-related emergency or chest pain.

Keeping in view the success of the program and its popularity among the masses, the NICVD management had decided to set up 10 more such units in the city, Prof Qamar said, adding that by the end of next year, the number of these units in Karachi would become 16, while one satellite centre would also be functioning to provide top-quality cardiac health facilities to people.

“On this occasion, I would urge the people of Karachi and the media to guide us on the spots where these CPUs should be installed so that the maximum number of people who cannot reach the NICVD on time due to long distance and traffic congestion could be provided timely treatment and first aid.”