Delayed inauguration: Can someone please open Mayo’s cardiac emergency?

Lahore’s largest hospital awaits senior health official to cut the ribbon

LAHORE: Usually, it is a lack of doctors, equipment or medicine hindering the treatment of patients. However, the Mayo Hospital is in the unique position of waiting for a health department or hospital bigwig to inaugurate the cardiac emergency ward.

“We have been waiting for the last two months and all the arrangements have been made, but no official is available for the inauguration,” says Dr Khuda Bux of the Mayo hospital.

The ward is significant for thousands of residents of old Lahore and areas surrounding the hospital, which was built in the city centre in the colonial era.

These areas are congested and it is difficult to reach other facilities at peak traffic hours. The closest alternative dealing with cardiac emergency patients is the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), which is at least six kilometres away.

Dr Khuda Bux said appointment letters of three senior registrar officers (SROs) had recently been issued, while medical staff, cardiac monitoring and ECG machines were all in place. “However, there is no health department with the time to recite Quranic verses and plug in the machines. I cannot understand the reasons behind so many obstacles for the opening,” he comments.

The doctor adds that many lives can be saved if the ward just starts to function. He regrets that the fact that the Mayo Hospital has to refer patients with chest pains to other medical facilities such as Jinnah Hospital, Gulab Devi Hospital and the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC); all of which are far from their homes.

Cardiology Professor Saqib Shafi, who will be in charge of the emergency ward, tells The Express Tribune the government issued appointment of letters of three SROs. He hopes that the facility will be functional in the coming week.

Dr Shafi highlights that space has been allocated, while beds and machines have been installed.

Replying to a question, the professor says no major doctor is willing to join the emergency ward and that is one of the main reasons for the delay.

“For emergency services, we need to appoint highly trained and qualified heart specialists” he stresses. “I was felt helpless when specialist doctors were not interested to joining the ward.” He continues that heart specialists are not willing to take up station at the emergency wards as they have to perform night duty at least once a week or remain on call” he says.

He also refutes the claim that there a hurdle from the government side. “All problems are resolved and we will run services within a week” he adds.

He agrees most heart patients are left unattended due to the lack of a cardio emergency ward. The people suffering most hail from nearby districts such as Baghbanpura, Islamnagar, Shahadrah and other low-income areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2016.