–Health minister says will ensure availability of necessary hospital equipment at earliest
LAHORE: Amid lack of proper planning on the Punjab Health Department’s (PHD) part, hospitals across the province have run out of stents; putting thousands of cardiac patients in a pickle, Pakistan Today has learnt.
A stent is a tiny metal or plastic tube that is inserted into a blocked passageway to keep it open. It restores the flow of blood and is widely used in angioplasty for the treatment of cardiac diseases.
“A file seeking an approval of central rates for the procurement of stents was forwarded to PHD, but due to its negligence and the sluggishness that mars its affairs, the process lies in limbo,” sources said.
They were of the view that due to the prevailing situation, thousands of patients visiting government hospitals had been left distressed as the hospital staffers were making lame excuses for the delay in their treatment.
“Some hospitals are setting dates for angioplasty procedures way into the future, which is regrettable as cardiac issues tend to worsen if the required treatment is delayed.”
“Cardiac patients visiting the hospitals are usually in a critical condition and need immediate treatment. Both the patients [or their attendants] and the doctor have to decide if they would opt for surgery or angioplasty,” a doctor at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), while seeking anonymity, told this scribe.
They added that angioplasty is recommended to most of the patients because it is quite safe and has fewer side effects. “Through this procedure, immediate relief is provided to the patient whose heart attack could’ve been fatal. It also reduces the risk of heart attack and angina pains.”
Unluckily, they said, the hospital staff and health department officials did not understand the sensitivity of the disease and the doctors were usually left to bear the brunt.
“We [doctors] want our patients to be stable as early as possible, but if we lack proper equipment, what are we supposed to do? It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the availability of stents at hospitals, otherwise, patients who are recommended angiography would suffer and their lives would remain at risk.”
A heart patient, Muhammad Aqeel, who was recently diagnosed with unstable angina and was recommended angiography, said, “I have been visiting PIC for the past several days to get an appointment for the procedure, but am refused treatment by the doctors. They refuse to take up my case.”
“I have experienced this problem for the first time and fear that I might not be able to survive another attack due to the delay in my treatment. I am extremely disappointed in the management of the hospitals as lifesaving equipment should be available for the patients all the time,” he said.
When contacted, Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmeen Rashid said that they would ensure the availability of stents as well as other necessary equipment and medicines at the hospitals as soon as possible.
“We have a budget of Rs32 billion for all these items and will be able to meet the needs of the people very soon,” she said.
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