KARACHI: Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo, President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), has expressed concerns over insufficient funding to National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) - the last hope for millions of poor, needy and helpless heart patients.

During a visit to the NICVD, FPCCI Chief said that NICVD is one of a kind of cardiovascular care hospital in the world that provides state-of-the-art medical and emergency care free of cost. He said the FPCCI cannot sit idle and do nothing to save this hospital. He said FPCCI has decided to help the NICVD's voice heard to governmental, non-governmental and international donors.

Maggo said that the NICVD served a whopping number of 2.3 million helpless heart patients in 2019; 1.6 million in 2020 and will serve around 2.3 million patients in 2021, as well.

However, Nasir Khan Vice President FPCCI said that the NICVD is a centre of excellence in true sense as it successfully treats those cardiac patients who have spent millions of rupees in private hospitals of Karachi but still have not been fully and effectively treated. He commended the NICVD for serving the patients in an absolutely non-discriminatory manner; irrespective of colour, ethnicity, religion, social-class and even nationality - as even patients from neighbouring Afghanistan are being treated for free.

Prof. Dr Nadeem Qamar Executive Director NICVD thanked President and VP of FPCCI for visiting the NICVD and listening to their concerns. He also requested the visiting delegation to help the NICVD raise funds though private businesses and international donors with the use of FPCCI's linkages and marketing expertise.

Dr. Sohail Khan, an interventional cardiologist, also attended the meeting and said that the NICVD is an example for the developing world for saving hundreds of thousands of lives annually through providing world-class emergency cardiac care. He said we all should come together to help raise funds for the poor patients it treats.

FPCCI urged Chief Minister Sindh and the Federal Government of Pakistan to immediately enhance the funding and grants to the institution - and, help save innumerable lives and families dependent on those lives.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021