Two cardiac hospitals on the cards
Punjab Minister for Specialised Health Care Dr Javed Akram has announced to build two more cardiac hospitals in Rawalpindi under the name of RIC-2 and RIC-3, to ban fast food and packaged juice in all educational institutions, construction of parking plazas in all hospitals across the province, to launch a new degree programme in Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) and introduce preventive cardiology to prevent heart diseases.
After the briefing by RIC Executive Director Prof Anjum Jalal, Dr Akram, while talking to the media along with Provincial Health Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir, said he was trying to improve the RIC.
“Cardiology Consultant Dr Farqat Alamgir will also deal with the most complex cardiac cases here,” he said, adding that a new degree programme was being launched at RIC.
“It is important to work on preventive and safety measures along with treatment so that if one heart attack occurs, another may be avoided,” he said and claimed that apart from research work and new courses at RIC, the RIC would launch its journal after three months.
Dr Akram said that ISO certification will also be obtained for the RIC and funding will be provided by the UHS and GCIA while alternative sources of funding will also be brought in besides launching training programmes.
The provincial minister appealed to the public to avoid smoking cigarettes, lose weight and carry out exercises to avoid heart disease. He said that the RIC-2 will be established at Taxila and RIC-3 at Gujar Khan.
Dr Akram also said that a special cell will be established in RIC for service quality improvement.
Meanwhile, RIC Executive Director Professor Jalal while briefing the provincial minister said that RIC installed its oxygen generation plant and in addition to hybrid angiography, 24-hour stroke intervention services were available at the hospital.
“The hospital has its infirmary and mortuary. Emergency and indoor services are being provided and electrophysiological studies are being performed,” he said and added that 6,606 CT scans, 2,737 oncography and 1,348 cases of cardiac surgery were completed in the hospital during a year.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2023.