KARACHI, Dec 7: The 120-bed Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases will start functioning from Jan 28, and it would be equipped with modern diagnostic and treatment facilities.

Located in the old campus of Karachi Medical and Dental College in Block 16, F. B. Area, the institute will initially start with 120 beds, providing out-patient service and diagnostic facilities, such as ECG, X-Ray, ETT, Echo-Doppler studies, angiography, angioplasty, but later on it would be converted into a fully fledged 350-bed cardiac hospital, said City Nazim Niamatullah Khan.

Speaking at a news conference, the Nazim said that the CDGK would also set up seven or eight chest pain centres, each to be located between two or three towns, in the next four months, where emergency medical cover would be provided to patients.

Such patients would be shifted to the main the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases in specialised cardiac ambulances after stabilization of their condition. The Nazim said two ambulances have already been made available by a leading industrialist who is also ready to provide more such ambulances for chest centres.

He said that charges for treatment and diagnostic facilities at the KIHD would be affordable as compared to NICVD and private cardiac hospitals. Those who would not be able to bear their treatment expenses would be getting medicines from the Zakat fund.

Asked whether the costly life-saving injection required for dissolving clots would also be availabe, cardiologist Prof Abdus Samad who also accompanied the Nazim, said that such an injection would be administered positively without even bothering to know whether the patient would be able to pay its cost.

Giving details, the Nazim said of the 120 beds which are initially being made operational from Jan 28, there would be a 20-bed emergency hall, two coronary-care units and an 80-bed ward. Apart from this, there would be separate diagnostic halls for men and women.

Highlighting the importance of the KIHD, the Nazim said since it is located in district central, it would cater to cardiac emergency needs of more than nine million people of the city.

Endorsing the Nazim's contention that it takes more than one hour to reach the NICVD from most of the localities of the city, Prof Samad said according to a study conducted at the NICVD, more than six patients are brought dead everyday because they cannot reach hospital in time, saying in patients with heart attack, the first hour is very crucial and if appropriate treatment is not given, serious consequences follow. KIHD's associate professor Dr Zahid Rasheed and deputy director Dr Khalid were also present.