The cardiac cath lab at IGIMS in Patna. Picture by Ashok Sinha
Heart care and cure would be an affordable affair in the state from Friday with the inauguration of the cardiac catheterisation (cath) lab at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences.
The facility - set up spending around Rs 35 crore - would begin its journey with angiography on three patients on Friday. They would be charged around Rs 6,000 each. The procedure costs around Rs 40,000 in private clinics.
The Telegraph had published a report on the introduction of the cardiac cath lab facility at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in its December 27, 2014 edition. It would be the first government health hub to introduce the facility.
In angiography, X-ray software is used to show route maps of blood vessels and arteries in the heart. It gives detailed information about the functioning of the heart as well as blood pressure and oxygen levels in the blood as it passes through the heart.
Based on the angiography test report, it is be decided whether any heart surgery should be conducted on a patient or not.
Of the three patients who would undergo the angiography procedure at IGIMS on Friday, one belongs to Hajipur. The other two are residents of the city.
Dr B.P. Singh, the head of the cardiology department of IGIMS, said: 'All heart surgeries would become cheaper after the cath lab facility becomes operational here. People now spend around Rs 1.5 lakh for angioplasty in private hospitals. The same procedure would be available at IGIMS for around Rs 75,000. We would charge only around Rs 6,000 for angiography. The open-heart surgery and other cardiac procedures would also be available at a very low cost.'
The cardiac cath lab at IGIMS would be equipped with power backup system. All machines in the lab would keep functioning if there is a power failure during any heart surgery. Lead framework has been used in the door of the lab to prevent radiation from going outside.
IGIMS director Dr N.R. Biswas termed the debut of the cardiac cath lab at the health hub 'a great thing happening'. 'Recently, a CT scan machine has been started at the hospital. It was purchased spending around Rs 11 crore. We shall start the MRI facility soon. The tender for MRI machine has been floated. We shall start infertility clinic as well,' said Dr Biswas.