KARACHI, Aug 22: Participants of a two-day Revascularization Course 2005 stressed the need for proper infrastructure to handle congenital heart problems among local children, rectifiable in 90 per cent cases.

They were expressing their views at the concluding session of the fifth annual revascularization course organized here by the Cardiology Department, Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) in coordination with the Pakistan Cardiac Society, Pakistan Society of Interventional Cardiology and the SAARC Cardiac Society.

It was mentioned that two per cent of all new born babies were registered to be suffering from one or the other type of congenital heart problem, with vascular cardiac disease the second most common.

Prof Mansoor Ahmed, Head of Cardiology Department, Liaquat National Hospital speaking on the occasion said while the significance of prevention could not be undermined, yet in the backdrop of constant surge in the incidence of cardiac diseases the country needed to have well-trained cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.

He mentioned that the Cardiology Department-LNH and the Pakistan Cardiology Society for the past five years had been focussing in updating the skills of the local cardiac surgeons and physicians.

“It is through concerted efforts that Pakistan could be presently witnessed having most modern and sophisticated procedures being conducted by the local experts with success rate as high as in the developed world,” Prof Mansoor said.

According to Prof Mansoor the competency of our local experts was recognized internationally.

He also mentioned that the Revascularization Course 2005 was attended by prominent cardiologists from India, Singapore, UK, USA and Australia who along with other course participants witnessed the live telecast of interventional procedures performed in the labs of different hospitals in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

They expressed their absolute confidence on the competency of Pakistani professionals, Prof Mansoor Ahmad said adding that procedures related to angiography and angioplasty were also shown to Prof Anil Kumar, president, Indian Heart Association, during the Revascularization Course 2004 and he too was immensely satisfied.

Dr Abdul Rashid Khan, secretary of the Revascularization Course 2005 announced that the Liaquat National Hospital in coordination with the Pakistan Cardiac Society would be holding an international and SAARC Cardiology Conference in 2006.

Brigadier Azhar Kayani and others also spoke on the occasion.—APP