Medical history in making:  Doctors successfully carry out two open-heart surgeries in  Civil Hospital Quetta

Shazia Mehboob

Islamabad: In a rare development in the field of medical science in Balochistan, a team of doctors at Civil Hospital, Quetta has carried out two successful open-heart surgeries. This is welcome news news for the least well-off people to have this facility within the provincial capital.

This milestone achievement is not only a great success for the doctors at the Hospital, often working in very trying circumstances with inadequate facilities and paramedical staff but also a great relief for hundreds of thousands of cardiac patients in the province.

Hitherto, cardiac patients had to travel to Karachi, Lahore and other cities for heart bypass surgery costing millions of rupees over and above other costs for traveling, accommodation and subsistence.

This historic development has been made possible because of the special interest shown by a team of dedicated doctors, hospital management and provincial health authorities, according to the statement issued by the hospital management on Saturday.

Supervised by Prof Arifur Rehman, Prof Syed Dawood Shah, Dr Aftab Khatri and Dr Asghar Ahmed, a team of doctors comprising of  Cardiac Surgeon Dr Ismat Achakzai, Cardiac Surgeon Dr Abdul Wasi, Cardiac Surgeon Dr Muhammad Arif, Muhammad Shahi, Cardiac Anesthesiologist Dr Aqeel conducted the surgeries. The hospital management has rightly described the success as a joint effort by the Cardiac Surgeon team, nurses, pharmacists, perfumers and other medical personnel.

The hospital management has given further assurance that all resources at their disposal were being utilized to provide the best treatment facilities for the patients and to ensure quality health services to the people in time.

Civil Hospital MS Dr Amin Khan Mandokhial when

asked about the ground-breaking achievement commented,  “I wish for the continuation of this service here in Quetta.”

Dr Amin said the sustainability of the facility depends on the available financial resources and trained human force. The hospital has a great number of challenges, including an acute shortage of nursing staff. The MS expressed fear that lack of financial resources and staff can damage the cause if not addressed in time.

He went on to explain that the cost of disposables per patient is estimated at Rs130,000.  “We need continuous assistance from the government as well as financial and administrative autonomy.”

“We have an acute shortage of nursing staff and with the shift of the cardiac section to a new place, the shortage would create further complications for the hospital.”

“We have multiple other problems here as the health authority has decided to shift the cardiac section to a new establishment.”