A day to celebrate!

By Dr. Muhammad Hafizullah

“We are proud of the services being offered by Cardiology department of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar and will fully support their efforts to further strengthen the department,” announced Health Minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah.

The occasion was third interventional workshop organised by Cardiology departments of LRH and Hayatabad Medical Complex of Postgraduate Medical Institute, and the venue was the well-equipped auditorium of LRH.

The academic session witnessed an enthusiastic response from house officers, trainee medical officers, paramedical staff and faculty members to witness the latest interventional procedures being performed in their hospital. Cardiology department had organised live transmission of two cases of angioplasty, a complicated case of electrophysiology, closure of PDA - a congenital disorder in 4 months old baby and opening up of Mitral valve to auditorium from their state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterisation suite.

Newer technology has made it possible to access the otherwise 'no go' areas.

Elaborate arrangements were made for the live web-based telecast from Catheterisation suite to auditorium. First case started with narration of history by Dr Irfan and performance of angioplasty of a severe narrowing in main artery supplying the heart employing wrist (radial artery) by Dr Hikmat Ullah Jan.

A sixty years old lady had angioplasty performed by Dr Mehmoodul Hassan and assisted by Dr Ahmed Fawad.

Mitral valve was opened using the latest balloon technology by Dr Adnan Gul.

Brief talks were delivered by Dr Jamal Jameel Electrophysiologist from USA on the newly acquired technology - non-contact mapping and Dr Adnan Gul on Mitral valvuloplasty.

Dr Zahid Aslam Awan and Dr Jamal Jameel demonstrated the use of latest technology to solve complex rhythm problems.

Dr Kamran Khattak-pioneer of pediatric Cardiology in the province demonstrated closure of PDA without surgery in three-month old baby and answered questions.

Dr Adnan Gul conducted the workshop and kept the interest of audience alive by provoking questions and keeping them involved.

Dr Naeem Khan from USA and Dr Mohammad Arabi served on panel as experts.

The session continued after a brief formal session which was addressed by Minister Health Syed Zahir Ali Shah lauding the services and this scribe highlighting the services of Cardiology department. The chief guest inaugurated the newly established Cardiac Catheterisation laboratory, Learning Resource Centre, Post Cath lounge and renovated Echocrdiography section.

The occasion was graced by Prof Amjad Hussain from Toledo, USA and Dr Naeem Khan Centralia, USA - long time ardent supporters of downtrodden people of NWFP.

Role of APCNA was appreciated for the generous contribution and 'Friends of Hearts of Peshawar' Dr Arshad Rehan, Dr Yasser Siraj, Dr Mian Arshad Jan and Dr Ovais were remembered for their efforts and help with generous donations in the form of disposables of pacemakers, catheters, balloons and stents.

Chief executive of Lady Reading Hospital Dr Abdul Hameed Afridi, Dean Postgraduate Medical Institute Prof Azmat Talat and senior faculty of the hospital were there to participate in the academic session.

Interesting but little known detais were provided by the head of Cardiology department that government of NWFP provided grant in aid for the treatment of entitled and poor patients seven million per year which was increased to thirty million in 2005 and further increased to forty million in 2007. 

As against the grant in aid, it was instructive, to learn that Cardiology department had been supporting the treatment of under privileged patients with their own resources.

From 1996 to 2006 Cardiology department spent 90.16 million on poor and entitled patients as against the grant of 66.52 million incurring an expenditure of 23.64 million from her own resources.

In years 2006 to 2009 as against the cumulative grant of 110 million the department spent 140.29 on poor and entitled patients contributing 30.29 million from her earnings.

The efforts of Cardiology department are worth emulating as adding it up, 63.94 million were spent on poor and free patients over and above the grants of the provincial government from the department's own resources.

The occasion to celebrate was the addition of new Cardiac catheterisation machine to the cardiac Catheterisation Suite where already three machines are offering services.

This machine worth $506000 was procured through Cardiology own funds. This sets as a supreme example where savings of the last so many years were invested in enhancing the equipment and services in the field of interventional cardiology.

When this sum is added to the already contributed 63.94 million to patient care this comes to 107.96 million.

Almost eleven crores have been spent towards patient care and enhancement of services.

Two portable Echocardiography machine, six three channel ECG machine and twelve syringe pumps have been procured from the same fund. 

This was over and above equipping of 14-bedded second Coronary care Unit with wireless monitoring system for post angioplasty patients.

Development of Post Catheterisation with fifteen elegant and comfortable Sofa beds, renovation of Echocardiography suite and recent development of Learning Resource Centre had been made from private resources and donations.

Generous donation of hard ware including catheters, guide wires, balloons, stents and permanent pacemakers by sons of the soil - Cardiologists working in USA and UK helped a long way to achieve these goals.

The event was also to commemorate the procurement of the latest machine in the field of electrophysiology for non contact mapping called Velocity Ensite, being the first in South East, Far East Asia and China.

This is complemented by Intra Cardiac Echocardiography unit - the first in Pakistan to offer unrestricted views of heart from inside the heart. Cardiology department is the proud owner of the latest technology - Intravascular Ultrasound IVUS.

All this equipment has been made available to Cardiology Department free of cost by St Judes and Medtronic companies, as very special favours.

The department head reiterated that the department over the last fourteen years had been able to organise optimal equipment upkeep/repair through maintenance contract and software maintenance with regular inputs in the ward in the form of equipment, computer hardware, bathroom repair, furniture and beds.

Cardiology department has the pride of offering the latest technology at doorstep, rendering most cost effective services at lowest possible rates and look after entitled, poor and deserving patients totally free of cost.