‘Interventional cardiologists need to be certified’

KARACHI – Inadvertent lacunae in compliance to interventional cardiology protocols enhance the urgency for mandatory certification of the professionals concerned by the relevant medical bodies, said Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Vice Chancellor Prof Masood Hameed.
He said this while addressing interventional cardiologists at the ongoing second interventional workshop titled ‘Percutaneous Intervention in the Third World’ jointly organised by National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Pakistan Cardiac Society, and Society of Interventional Cardiology.
Hameed – also a senior physician – said the degrees acquired by interventionists must necessarily be complimented for competence confirmed by professional bodies such as the Society of Interventional Cardiology. This is equally relevant for most of other practitioners from different medical and surgical specialities, he added.
“The capacities of junior interventionists must be certified by professional bodies to confirm who is fit to perform operational procedures,” said the DUHS vice chancellor.
Shortage of qualified professionals and dearth of other relevant resources in the face of steady increase in the incidence of cardiac ailments demand efficient primary prevention programmes in the country, he said, adding, “We must have primary prevention departments in every cardiac centre.”
This must be complimented by community and school level programmes involving individuals right from their childhood as it is difficult to change eating habits once taste buds, detrimental to health, are developed, said Hameed.
He also called for close coordination among different institutions and organisations in the country to sensitise people about the services delivered by local experts in extremely difficult conditions and limited resources.
“We may be providing treatment at extremely nominal rates yet this is often beyond the means of a large majority of our people making prevention as the most feasible option,” Hameed said. The DUHS vice chancellor also highlighted the need for professional programmes and referred to the recently introduced BS programme in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in coordination with other cardiology training institutions in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, NICVD Executive Director Prof Khan Shah Zaman said the institute is involved in introducing new technologies to train young cardiologists.
Only last year, we introduced primary angioplasties at NICVD on regular basis and presently interventional cardiologists and angioplasty experts are available round the clock, he added.
“The growing number of heart patients at facilities like the NICVD demands proper training of junior surgeons,” said the NICVD director, adding that the number of catheterisation laboratories and operation theatres has also been increased to seven each, enabling the patients in need to get immediate assistance at almost no charge. He informed that the workshop is being attended by some 200 cardiologists from the country.
Welcoming a cardiology expert from Hungary, Zaman said that sharing of experiences and expertise by the professionals will ultimately benefit the people of the country. The session, also addressed by Dr Ishtiaq Rasool and Dr Ashraf, was followed by video presentations of cases handled by the participants that were cited to be their best or worst experiences.
Senior cardiologists and cardiac surgeons also held a video conference and performed live cardiac catheterisations, angiographies and angioplasties for the workshop participants.