Heart patients continue to suffer at LRH

PESHAWAR: No end seems insight to the suffering of the heart patients as the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) has failed to ensure supplies of essential cardiac cauterisation items to the overloaded' Cardiology Department of the hospital.For eight days, the Cardiology Department has not been able to receive essential items used in catheterisation from the administration of the LRH. And since then, there have been no major procedures such as angioplasty in the hospital.Insiders said it was first time the Cardiology Department has stopped providing crucial services like angioplasty and it happened after the hospital administration shifted power of purchase of essential items such as stents from head of the department to the new managers."Nobody was against health reforms of the PTI government but they hired their blue-eyed people as managers on high salaries and the results are before you," remarked one senior cardiologist when reached for comments.He said that for last eight days, no major procedure of angioplasty was done at the Cardiology Department, causing frustration to the heart patients. It was on last Friday when the cardiology department started facing shortage of important items.Dr Irfan, assistant professor, while undertaking one emergency angioplasty procedure purchased the balloon catheter from private cath lab from his own pocket. And another cardiologist, Dr Adil, also an assistant professor, came across with a similar problem. Pleading anonymity, a faculty member said the hospital administration had been informed about the lack of essential cardiac cauterisation items but it didn't provide the required items.The acting medical director called a meeting of hospital director, associate hospital director LRH, finance director and manager in his office two weeks ago to discuss these deficiencies. A promise was made in front of medical director for fulfilling the deficiencies, but it didn't materialise. The minutes of that meeting are available with this correspondent.According to sources, owning to irregular supply of essential cardiac catheterisation items, including balloons, stents, guide wires, and other essentials items, the cardiologists stopped important procedures such as angioplasty.

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