MULTAN, July 13: The Multan Institute of Cardiology’s out-patient department (OPD) will start functioning next month. This was stated by project director Prof Dr Masood Ahmad Cheema while talking to APP on Wednesday. He said the requisite staff comprising 40-50 doctors and paramedics, had been trained at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, for the purpose.

Deputy project director Dr Mushtaq Husain Khan said work on the 201-bed institute, which would cost the exchequer Rs970 million, was in full swing and likely to complete next year.

He said a sum of Rs647 million had been earmarked for the building and Rs322 million for the equipment and machinery. He said the facilities to be available at the OPD would include investigation, laboratory, X-ray and eco cardiography.

He said the institute had got the electricity connection on Tuesday, and Wasa had also committed to lay the sewer lines within a week.

He said a pharmacy had also been set up to ensure the availability of quality medicines to the patients. The poor would be provided with medicines free of cost, he said.

Director finance Mohammad Younas said the covered area of the institute would be 230,038 square feet, that of doctors’ hostel 39,715 square feet and nurses’ hostel 32,445 square feet.

He said two cardiac ambulances worth Rs3.8 million and an angiography machine worth Rs55 million were also being purchased.