KARACHI: Cardio institute yet to be made fully functional
KARACHI, Oct 3: The Karachi Institute of Cardiology inaugurated some five months back is yet to be made fully functional due to delay in approval of SNEs for hiring required staff as well as procurement of essential items.
Sources associated with the institute reiterated urgency to turn the much warranted facility functional to its optimum in the backdrop of the considerably high incidence of heart ailments in the metropolis. It was stated to be 830 per 100,000 as compared to 190 per 100,000 in other parts of the country.
The institute with a requirement of 350 staffers, including 40 cardiologists, is presently working with six staffers.
This may be appreciable to notice that certain senior cardiologists and cardiac surgeon have offered their services on honorary basis, yet non-availability of nurses, paramedics and technicians is largely hampering utility of the otherwise impressive infrastructure.
Prof Abdus Samad, Karachi Institute of Cardiology Director, acknowledged the problems in face of non-availability of funds. However, he mentioned that Out-Patient Department of the institute was working most efficiently and no less than 5,000 patients had been attended there since June 2005.
“Against all odds we have also been able to perform five angioplasties,” he said adding that there is but a long waiting list for different surgical procedures.
Dr Samad mentioned that 60 patients were being registered daily at the institute.
To a query, he said that an SNE of Rs100 million had been sent for procurement of relevant medical and surgical items and Rs140 million for hiring staff. —APP
