CPSP awards KIHD status of teaching institute

December 3, 2009


By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: The Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases (KIHD), which is a pivotal project of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has been designated as the Teaching.
In this regard, the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) team has after reviewing the pons and crons of the KIHD awarded consent with permission in black and white to accept the Institute as the Teaching Institute for the Cardiology. Henceforth, the KIHD Teaching Institute has been enabled to initiate a four-year Postgraduate Diploma course in the field of specialized cardiology medicine and surgery.
On this occasion, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the KIHD was the second after National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases (NICVD) that has acquired affiliation to the CPSP and it would add to the new avenues in the field of research and treatment of the patients with heart affections.
Kamal added that the CDGK had spent more than Rs 400 million for the upgradation, modernization and extension of the KIHD while the Institute has been equipped with most modern machineries worth Rs 100 million. The KIHD has pioneered the use of high-tech equipments such as 256-multi-slice CT Angio in Asia as only the John Hopkins University of the United States was using the same.
Kamal said that the KIHD was the second largest hospital in public sector with all departments and facilities under one roof with a vision to provide the citizens with access to modern diagnostic and treatment facilities at quite cheaper rates.
Kamal added that despite tremendous financial deficit, the CDGK has yet ensured provision of dedicated medical services to the ailing citizens at these KIHDs at highly subsidized rates such as the Angiography costs just Rs 3,500, Angioplasty with stunts for Rs 35,000 and bypass cardiac surgery for Rs 50,000 as compared to Rs 30,000, Rs 250,000 and Rs 300,000 for the same procedures at other heart centres in city.
Kamal further stated that the Sindh Medical Technology Faculty has also recognized the KIHD for the Cardiac Medical Technology Training for which the KIHD Teaching Institute would also start a three-year Diploma Course to produce Cardiac Medical Technologists. The KIHD would soon establish Nursing Teaching Institute at the same venue.
While talking to Daily Times, KIHD deputy executive director Dr Siraj said that the CPSP had visited the KIHD on Oct 19 for inspection and issued a letter of approval on Dec 2 and approved KIHD’s affiliation from Oct 19.
Now the KIHD Academic Council has fast started preparations for inviting students for the Diploma and thus those students who have completed their first year would be enrolled at the KIHD.
Replying to a question, Dr Siraj said that it was the City Nazim’s special efforts that enabled the KIHD to keep offering heavy subsidy to patients amid crucial financial deficit, so the salaries of the teaching personnel would become a tedious job but the KIHD was already prepared and the new expenses would be met by curtailing other non-development expenses till allocations in the forthcoming annual budget.Dr Siraj added that the KIHD has as yet performed 1,000 Angioplasty procedures, 10,000 Angiographies and 100 Bypass heart surgeries from Dec 2008.