KARACHI, April 24: About 30 per cent of patients reporting with coronary artery disease at Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) could not be given angioplasty interventions as the hospital lacked the relevant resources.

A senior official at the cardiology department of the hospital, run by the provincial government, told Dawn that about 666 men and women suffering heart conditions were received at the department, out of which 190 could be offered angioplasty and stenting treatment, which allowed improved blood flow in the arteries.

However, about another 100, despite their heart conditions, could not undergo the coronary angioplasty and stenting, as they either lacked the money required or a pool fund, managed through donations from philanthropists or Zakat head, did not continue at the department’s patient care society, the official added.

A modern cardiac catheterisation laboratory was set up at the CHK about one-and-a-half years ago at a cost of Rs50 million to treat patients with coronary narrowings.

Normally, it costs around Rs80-90,000 for the performance of angioplasty on one patient, said the official, clarifying that the cost covered the price of stent and drugs, which are purchased from the market either by patients who can afford it, or by the cardiac society that maintains a pool with the support of NGOS, philanthropists or Zakat funds.

The cash situation with regard to the delivery of coronary interventions has been uneven for the last few months. This is why the department of cardiology moved the Sindh Health Department and the Board of Governors of CHK for a dedicated amount round the year, it was learnt.

When contacted by Dawn, the head of CHK’s Cardiology Department, Prof Khalida Soomro, said that she had recently made a presentation before the BoG, which had now decided to earmark Rs10 million for consumables for coronary angiography, angioplasty and other therapeutic interventional procedures for cardiac patients who could not afford treatment.

The matter was also taken up with the provincial Health Department, which very recently had informed that funds for the purpose would come only from the BoG.

To a question, she said that it had become very difficult to entertain patients coming from the poor stratum as the resources for their purpose had almost dried up. Since November 2006, about 25 needy patients could not be given angioplasty treatment, she added, saying that if her department is provided an amount to the tune of Rs20 million exclusively for needy classes, it would be in a position to utilise the facilities in question at an optimum and increase the number of performed angioplasties up to seven or eight per day.