NICVD Sukkur gets new lab

SUKKUR: The Executive Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Prof. Nadeem Qamar, on Thursday inaugurated electrophysiology lab and the second catheterization lab at the NICVD’s Sukkur Satellite Center. The lab would serve a larger number of patients requiring pacemaker and other implants and angioplasties from northern Sindh, southern Punjab and Balochistan.

Addressing the media, Prof. Qamar said the electrophysiology lab and the second cath lab has opened on the first anniversary of NICVD Sukkur and would benefit thousands of patients. The NICVD Sukkur, he said has now become one of the best cardiac-care hospitals in the region where patients get quality treatment free of cost. He said within a couple of weeks, the first Chest Pain Unit (CPU) of the NICVD outside Karachi would open in Sukkur. He said every district and major town of Sindh would be equipped with chest pain units. The NICVD executive director announced starting pediatric cardiac surgeries at NICVD Sukkur soon.

Praising the team of cardiologists running the NICVD Sukkur, Qamar said since March 2018, over 200 bypass surgeries were successfully performed. “Since its establishment, around 56,000 patients were treated in the OPDs, over 58,000 patients visited our emergency while over 9,000 children were examined at the pediatric OPDs of the hospital”, he said and added, 12,553 patients were provided Primary PCI, which a type of angioplasty performed following heart attack. Prof. Qamar claimed that over 166,000 patients from all the four provinces and even Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan were treated since the opening of the centre. To a query, he said the NICVD has launched a preventive cardiology program led by a senior cardiologist. On the occasion, he cut a cake to mark the first anniversary of the centre along with the staff and employees.