KARACHI: The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases [NICVD] is set to establish its ‘satellite centres’ in Tando Mohammed Khan, Jamshoro, and Sukkur districts, and similar facilities would be set up in four more districts of Sindh next year, said a senior NICVD official on Friday.

“Our satellite centre is successfully functioning in Larkana since May, and we are set to set up similar establishments in Tando Mohammed Khan, Sehwan taluka of Jamshoro district and Sukkur,” said NICVD executive director Dr Nadeem Qamar while speaking at a seminar on the hospital premises.

The seminar was organised in connection with World Heart Day, observed across the world on Friday.

Organisers said the workshop was part of the awareness campaign launched by the country’s largest facility taking care of cardiovascular diseases.

During the campaign, they said healthy practices were emphasised upon to keep the heart healthy. The workshop was attended by the medical, paramedical staff and the general public.

At the awareness camp, the general public was educated about the importance of cardiac health and how they could lead a healthy life if they took proper care of it.

Prof Qamar said four more NICVD satellites would be established in Nawabshah, Khairpur, Hyderabad and Mithi next year.

“This network of NICVD satellites will be providing prompt and easily accessible cardiac services to the population of entire Sindh on their doorstep,” said the NICVD chief.

He thanked the Sindh government for its ‘endless support’ in making such tremendous endeavours possible.

Prof Qamar added the NICVD Larkana had been functional since May and was providing free cardiac emergency, primary PCI (angioplasty during heart attack) and adult or paediatric cardiology services.

The speakers said World Heart Day was being celebrated with an international theme of ‘Share the Power’.

They said World Heart Day was observed on September 29 every year and was a chance for people to take part in the world’s biggest intervention against cardiovascular disease (CVD).

“On this World Heart Day,” said an expert, “our focus is on creating heart-healthy environments by ensuring, the people are able to make heart-healthy choices wherever they live, work and play. This day encourages us all to reduce our cardiovascular risk and promote a heart healthy planet for those around us.”

Prof Qamar said heart diseases and stroke were endemic in the world. He said many people mistakenly thought of heart disease and stroke as conditions that only affected old ages. However, a large number of young people suffer heart attack and stroke quite routinely.

He said lifestyle choices; including healthy eating, regular exercise, and following the advice of doctors, could help protect the heart and brain. He said blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol level be checked on regular intervals.

He said the NICVD was committed to providing state-of-the-art cardiac services to the people.

“In the last two and half years, the NICVD has launched many programmes for the people of Karachi and the rest of Sindh, which included the launch of totally free services for all general indoor patients and outdoor patients at the NICVD Karachi and establishment of chest pain units beneath flyovers in different neighbourhoods of the metropolis.”

Further, he said, “We are expanding our infrastructure and constructing new buildings to add more space and better services.”

This expansion plan, he added, included construction of an independent OPD facility, separate paediatric cardiac unit, an adult cardiology block and rehabilitation of the existing block.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2017