Hospital emergency deptt to be provided staff, medicine as per SC directive: Azhar Kiyani

ISLAMABAD, Apr 5 (APP):Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology Executive Director Major (R) Dr Azhar Kiyani on Thursday said provision of minimum required staff, medicine and equipment at the emergency departments of government hospitals at Tehsil and district levels along with tertiary care hospitals as per the Supreme Court’s directive would be ensured.
Speaking at a conference on “Cardiovascular Diseases And Preventive Measures” here at the National Press Club, he said at present heart patients had to purchase stents for Rs 500,000 to Rs 600,000 per piece. Due to the intervention of the apex court it would be available in market for Rs100,000 from June, 2018. Pharmaceutical companies had helped in clamping down the stent prices, he added.
Dr Kiyani said the SC had directed him to prepare a sample prescription of medicine for heart ailments priced at Rs 550 and he had submitted four prescriptions in compliance.
Highlighting the complications leading to heart attack, he said preventive measures, timely detection and treatment of the disease could reduce the risk.
He called the heart ailment an expensive disease as its treatment cost millions of rupees and urged the public to abandon smoking, unhygienic and fast food, and cold drinks, and instead start having oil free diet, fruits, grains and vegetables with daily exercise to avoid heart complications.
“A heart patient should control his cholesterol, sugar and blood pressure levels as their augmentation may cause early death,” he added.
Dr Kiyani said 30 to 40 per cent patients suffering from heart attacks did not have any symptoms. “If someone feels 5-10 minutes continuous chest pain with sweating must go to hospital as muscles of heart die with each passing second.”
He , however, urged the heart patients to must have aspirin tablets in home and always carry it with himself and chewed it in case of heart attack in order to reduce its severity.