Baptist Hospital, a unit of CMC, Vellore has opened a dedicated cardiology centre. The facility has been set up at a cost of Rs. 4.5 crore. The centre aims to provide non-invasive cardiology and catheterization of lab round-the-clock to patients at its 202- bed facility.
The aim of the new facility is to provide healthcare facilities to the patients with cardio-vascular diseases (CVD) at affordable prices, besides initiating regular programme on prevention and control of heart problems.
Services offered by the new centre included elective cardiac catheterization, angiography, permanent pacemaker implantations, temporary pacing and balloon valvotomies. The programme will be supervised by a full-time cardiologist who is a resident within the hospital premises. Other services offered are ECG, treadmill testing, Echocardiography and 24 hour ambulatory ECG monitoring (Holter monitoring).
This service has been made possible partly due to a generous grant from one of the philanthropists who supports many programs at the Bangalore Baptist Hospital, Krishna Chivukula. He has funded the construction of the wing in which the cardiology department is housed.
Some of the achievements of Bangalore Baptist Hospital are treatment provided to 1,75,000 outpatients and 12,000 inpatients annually. Performing 3800 surgeries and carrying out 2700 deliveries annually.
The new facility was inaugurated by Santosh Hegde, Karnataka Lokayukta chief.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, around 60 per cent of the world's cardiac patients will be from India by 2010. It would be the biggest killer disease affecting younger population. In 1990 there were 1.17 million deaths from coronary vascular disease in India and the number is expected to cross 2.03 million by 2010. Between 2000-2030 about 35 per cent of all coronary vascular disease deaths in India will occur among those who are aged between 35-64, compared with only 12% in the United States and 22 per cent in China. By 2020 heart diseases and stroke will become the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with the number of fatalities projected to increase more than 20 million a year and to more than 24 million a year by the year 2030.
"With the opening of the cardiac centre we intend to provide the best of facilities and care to our patients. With support from Christian Medical Hospital, Vellore, we look forward for providing quality service to the needy," said Dr Suranjan Bhattacharji, CMD, Christian Medical College, Vellore.
The Baptist Hospital was established in 1973 by the International Mission Board (IMB), Southern Baptist Convention. Being one of the leading hospitals in North Bangalore, it provides 12 bed round the clock casualty facility. The 202-bed hospital with over 700 staff provides multi specialty health care unit for patience.