By Rehan Ali Khushik
Karachi ; NICVD Sehwan is newly established about three years ago. It provides free of cost quality treatment to the heart patients. Before, locals had to travel hundreds of kilometers for heart emergencies and treatment. Sometimes patients die on the way due to cardiac arrest.
80 to 100 heart patients are reported daily at NICVD Sehwan. The Emergency consists of 6 beds, four beds in CCU, 12 beds in Female Ward and 12 beds in the Male Ward.
Free of cost facilities including Angiography, Angioplasty, Echocardiography and others are provided 24 hours a day at NICVD Sehwan. Specialized ventilator facility is also present for critically ill patients.
According to the NICVD spokesperson, so far 62,245 patients have been facilitated with absolutely free of cost treatment in Sehwan Center. Number of patients treated in emergency are14,084, 18,691 in OPD, 5,793 admissions in male triage, 2,565 in female triage, while the number of patients undergone surgical procedures so far is 5,899.
Detail of specialized procedures done at NICVD Sehwan are:
Primary Angioplasties (PCI) done in Sehwan Center so for are 1,845 , Early Invasive interventions 1,498, Angiographies 608, Cardiac Pacemakers (TPM) 148 and Elective Angioplasties done are15.
Primary Angioplasty (PCI), is a lifesaving procedure done in cardiac emergencies to treats life threatening blockages within the coronary arteries and improves blood flow to the heart, while Cardiac Pacemaker implant costs minimum 0.5 Million in the private hospital, which is total free for the needy patients in NICVD Sehwan. Such advance facility to the remote areas like Sehwan is real blessing and precious gift from Sindh Government.
People from Dadu, Mehar, Johi, Bhan Saeedabad, Jhangara Bajara, Manchar, Kohistan and other areas come for free heart treatment in NICVD Sehwan Center.
Speaking to this correspondent on the occasion, one patient named Abdul Rasool said that he worked at a brick kiln in Nowshera Feroz and has six daughters. While working, he suddenly fell ill and had a heart attack. His co-workers rushed him to the hospital where he was given immediate medical attention and two stents were placed in his heart. He said that when he reached the hospital, his children and family also reached the hospital and seeing the modern hospital, they were worried about how they could afford such an expensive hospital when we lived in only one room house. Seeing distress, the hospital staff said that all the facilities in the hospital are provided free of cost. You don’t have to worry.
My children and I prayed for the hospital administration. On the bed aside, another 45-year-old patient said that he had diabetes and heart disease. He had a sudden heart attack and had free angiography and angioplasty. He was happy to see such a modern treatment. The hospital management said that the condition of the patient was very critical and a special staff consisting of two nurses was assigned to his bed. Patient said that he was very happy to receive immediate medical aid.