KARACHI: The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) will very soon be establishing 10 more chest pain units (CPUs) in Karachi, said its Executive Director, Prof. Nadeem Qamar here on Tuesday.
Talking to media persons on the occasion of World Pharmacists Day, commemorated by NICVD, he said the total number of CPUs in the metropolis would be raised to 17 by the end of this year.
"These CPUs to be functional at various important points across the metropolis may also provide essential medicines to the patients in need to help reduce the steady load on the institute itself,"he said.
Prof. Nadeem Qamar said the day-long events arranged as part of World Pharmacists Day was also an attempt to sensitize people in general about prevention of diseases and also raise awareness regarding strict compliance with medication prescribed by the doctors.
To a query, he said NICVD was currently providing free medicines to half of a million patients annually.
"NICVD is the only hospital in the public as well as private sectors of the country where free of cost quality medicines were being provided to such a large number of patients," claimed the institute's director.
He mentioned that a team of 50 qualified pharmacists led by Jibran Bin Yousuf was serving the patients with full enthusiasm and striving hard to prevent them from medication errors.
"Our pharmacists were fully alert to prevent any overdose or any other error which could result in any possible damage to patients' health," he claimed.
According to Prof. Qamar, NICVD was actually saving money in the presence of qualified pharmacists as duration of patients' stay has been drastically reduced due to timely interventions by the pharmacists.
"They are also helping in infection control which is biggest cause of patient mortality at most of the healthcare facilities," he said.
In addition to this, NICVD pharmacists are running an Anti-coagulation clinic, where patients who are given blood thinners are monitored regularly so that they could be prevented from hemorrhage and related health issues, said NICVD chief.
Prof. Qamar said patient load on NICVD was growing with each passing day despite establishment of Satellite Centers in different cities of Sindh and added that they would soon be having a new OPD building.
Following the establishment of this out patient department we also plan to expand NICVD's emergency room so as to accommodate growing number of patients being brought to the emergency, he said.
On the occasion, institute's Chief Pharmacist Jibran bin Yousuf claimed that they were providing free medicines to an estimated number of 800 to 1000 patients,
NICVD was said to be providing medicines worth Rs. 2 million to its OPD patients on daily basis.
The Chief Pharmacist said during the patient awareness camp held at NICVD, to mark the world pharmacist day, awareness regarding medicines was created among the patients.
For the benefit of the patients different tests were also conducted to improve their dosage of medicines as per their health conditions, said Dr.Jibran adding that international protocols were being followed for dispensation of medicines to the patients.
To contain medication errors and any possibility of theft, he said an Electronic Requisition System (ERP) has been put in place.
"This is helping our doctors and pharmacists to dispense right medicines in correct dosages to the patients and help contain chances of medication errors," said NICVD's chief pharmacist.
He mentioned that annually around half of a million people die due to medication errors and NICVD authorities fully cognizant of the situation are highly vigilant to address accidents and errors related to medicines.
On the occasion, a patient Arjumand Azhar also narrated his health situation when he had a heart attack and was taken to a private hospital, who instead of providing him any first aid, asked his attendants to take him to NICVD for saving his life.
"Within an hour on arrival at NICVD, I had my angioplasty after heart attack and I was shifted to the recovery room," he said.
Azhar further mentioned that at the time of discharge he wanted to pay his medical bill and was astonished to know that patients were treated free of charge at NICVD.
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