KARACHI, Nov 11: The repair work on the Cath Lab equipment at Civil Hospital, which is being undertaken by a foreign firm, has proved to be a lot more difficult than initially thought, and any plans to reopen the Lab appear elusive, at least in the near future.

The cath lab of the hospital was closed down more than three years back, after the equipment there ceased to function.

When efforts were recently launched to bring the equipment back to life, a German firm, Siemens, offered its services free of charge for the purpose and started the work. However, according to the department sources, new defects started to crop up during the process, as the lab equipment had become more defective after years of neglect and remaining out of operation.

The cardiology department, in reply to a Health Department’s query regarding the progress of the work, has also mentioned this aspect responsible for the delay.

Head of the cardiology department, Prof Khalida Soomro, said that efforts were being made to collect Rs30 million to purchase a new equipment to carry out angiography, while the old equipment after repair would be used for performing catheterization.

Patients at the CHK, required to undergo cardiac catheterization or angiography are being referred to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, where they have to pay Rs8,000 to 14,000 for the facility, besides enduring long delays.

Cardiac catheterization and angiography remain the standard tests for assessment of many diseases and heart abnormalities. These invasive procedures are considered invaluable in the management of heart disease.

The CHK’s cardiology department is a 35-bed facility, providing diagnostic and medical facilities to cardiac patients. Recently a six-bed ICU, set up through philanthropic support, has been added to the unit.