LAHORE: The Mayo Hospital is set to launch 24/7 cardiology emergency services amid resistance by a group of doctors.

It is said to be the “first facility” which has been approved by the top management of the one of the largest institutes of Punjab. Although the hospital administration is facing resistance from the medics opposing the plan, the facility will be made fully functional on May 2.

The institute being supported by the secretary of the Punjab Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department has issued a notification, an official said.

He said the institute had directed the registrar of the cardiology department to prepare duty roster for 24/7 cardiac emergency services. The doctors offering resistance had strictly been warned that they would be transferred to the primary & secondary healthcare department for their postings in far-flung districts for interrupting the healthcare to the cardiac patients.

“The health department has directed to start 24-hour cardiac emergency services at the Mayo Hospital at a meeting held on April 21 where it has been decided that the services will start on May 2,” reads a letter. It has been issued after CE Prof Saqib Saeed chaired a meeting to launch the cardiology services at the Accident & Emergency Department.

“As per the decision of the above-mentioned administration meeting, it is therefore requested that kindly submit Duty Roster of the Post-Graduate Residents (PGRs) till 25th of this month who will remain present 24 hours in emergency and consultant will remain on call,” the letter says.

The official said that in order to materialise the new facility the institute established a ‘chest clinic’ at the A&E department and provided eight hydraulic beds (also called CPR beds) and designated a ward to attend the cardiac patients only. He said the beds were fully adjustable and independent of electric power supply designed for a standard hospital care.

The cardiology department of the Mayo Hospital is headed by a professor and has six each assistant professors and senior registrars, 16 PGRs and seven house officers (HOs). The official lamented that most doctors were offering resistance to provide emergency services to the critical patients despite having full-fledged cardiology unit and highly trained human resource. He said Prof Haroon Babar was recently appointed head of the cardiology unit of the hospital and he was convinced to run the emergency services for the critical patients.

He was also convinced that the modern world was providing the critical care to the cardiac patients 24/7 and being the largest public sector hospital, the institute must ensure it on the same pattern.

In the earlier arrangement, the official said the cardiac patients were being denied treatment at the A&E department as a group of doctors had refused to render the emergency care to the patients. They would attend the cardiology department walk-in patients only.

He said it was a violation of fundamental right to treatment of the patients visiting with chest pain, especially with minor or major heart attack. He said the institute had provided sufficient number of cardiac monitors/defibrillators.

The official said the Young Doctors Association, Punjab, had taken up this matter in writing with the chief minister and the health authorities. He said Jinnah Hospital was the only public sector health facility providing 24/7 cardiac emergency services at the A&E department.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2022