Medical colleges, dist hospitals to get cardiac units

Concerned over the rising number of deaths from heart diseases, the government is mulling to set up cardiology departments in all public medical colleges and district hospitals, Speaker of National Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said yesterday.

The health ministry has already been asked to take initiatives in this regard so that the large number of patients suffering from cardiovascular ailments can be provided adequate and effective treatment, she said.

Shirin Sharmin was addressing as chief guest the inauguration of the 5th international conference on cardiology and cardiac surgery & 3rd Dhaka Live 2014 at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.

Labaid Cardiac Hospital organised the three-day conference that brought together globally acclaimed cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and academics to share knowledge and expertise on the latest developments of cardiovascular diseases and treatment.

The issue is of immense importance as heart diseases have become one of the major factors behind deaths in Bangladesh and the developing countries of Asia.

According to medical journal The Lancet, 1.78 lakh deaths were caused by strokes, 1.06 lakh by ischemic heart disease and 28,000 by hypertensive heart disease in 2013 alone in Bangladesh.

Interventional cardiologist Dr Ashok Seth said eating oily food, lack of exercise and smoking were the major factors behind the alarming number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases. “Even, people less than 40 are dying from heart disease,” the Indian physician told The Daily Star.

Newer technologies are coming up but treatment for these patients is expensive, said Seth, chairman of New Delhi-based Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, suggesting preventive measures.

Shirin Sharmin said preventive measures demand changes at behavioural, social, political and economic policies.

“We should, therefore, recognise and include prevention of cardiovascular diseases as part of the primary healthcare strategy in South Asian countries, particularly Bangladesh,” she said.

Addressing as special guest, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said the government primarily wants to set up intensive care units for cardiac patients in six district level hospitals, but has not set any timeframe.

Presently, there are only some 1,000 beds for cardiac patients in public hospitals of Bangladesh, which is too inadequate.

Recognising that the private sector was coming up in this regard, he complained of the high costs and requested the private sector to lower costs to facilitate treatment of people in the middle and low-income group.

Dr AM Shamim, managing director of Labaid Cardiac Hospital, said the private healthcare sector has flourished over the years due to the government's favourable policies and the number of cardiac patients going abroad has declined by 80 percent.

It is saving Tk 8,000 crore to Tk 10,000 crore in foreign currency, he said.

Labaid Hospital itself successfully performed 7,000 cardiac surgeries, 8,000 coronary angioplasty and 50,000 coronary angiography in the last ten years and the success rate is 97.3 percent, he added.

Prof Dr M Jalaluddin, director of academic affairs at the Labaid Cardiac Hospital, also addressed the ceremony.