KARACHI, Aug 23: Cardiologists, registering their concern over surge in the incidence of coronary diseases in the country have called for multi-pronged strategy to address the situation.

Speaking at the two-day Revascularization Course, jointly organized by the Pakistan Cardiac Society and Liaquat National Hospital, here on Saturday, they sought massive public awareness, due consideration towards prevention, besides adequate therapeutic facilities for the people across the country.

It was observed that situation, complimented by deep-rooted poverty, would be extremely serious and hence people as well as government needed to address the issue without any delay.

The disease, which, till a decade back was considered an ailment of the affluent, was presently inflicting people of all groups, with a sudden surge, the speakers said, referring to the advancement made in the relevant field of medicines by local doctors and measures adopted for adequate training and regular refresher programmes for cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in the country.

It was, however, recommended that country needed to go forward with a combination of solutions including primary prevention as diet control and physical exercise, followed by arrangements for across the board awareness and adequate treatment facilities.

In this context, strategy adopted in many of the developed countries, where pandemic was registered a few decades back, was also referred to. According to the speakers, 25 per cent of the disease incidence rate could be contained in a country like Pakistan through emphasis on primary prevention, another 25 per cent by targeting people who were at high risk (family history) and 50 per cent through improved therapeutics.

Cardiologists, referring to varied contributory factors, identified smoking as the single most common cause. Quoting the WHO estimates, it was said that by 2020 heart diseases would emerge as the most common cause of deaths across the globe and that 80 per cent of these would be contributed by India and Pakistan alone.

“It must be remembered that smoking contributes to 35 per cent of all cases of first heart attack,” the speakers said regretting that Pakistan lacks any consistent policy to curtail smoking, while the local youth are fast being trapped by cigarette advertisements in electronic as well as print media.

Absolute implementation of relevant laws and concerted efforts at all levels, to create public awareness regarding hazards of smoking, was urged to curtail the menace which was also a major cause of cancer.

Prof Mansoor Ahmed, Course Director and Head of Cardiology Department, LNH, said in view of the disease prevalence in the society there was dire need of regular and affordable training programmes as well as refresher courses for local doctors.

The Pakistan Cardiac Society, he said, had taken the initiative and since 1998-99, revascularization course was being conducted, exposing young doctors to modern treatment modalities evolved over the years.

He mentioned that course was conducted by local experts and largely attended by young and budding surgeons from all parts of the country, adding that its impact could be well gauged from the rise in the number of successful procedures of angioplasty, performed locally.

The session was also addressed by Prof Abdus Samad and Dr Abdul Rasheed Khan.—APP