Manipal Heart Foundation (MHF), a division of the Manipal Hospital, will link up small hospitals in the city to provide better cardiac treatment. The venture is part of the Foundation's completion of five years of its existence.

Dr. Subash Chandra, head, MHF announced the Foundation's initiatives and plans. "In all, the hospital will have three diagnostic centres in the city, the latest one being set-up at Koramangala," he said.

Dr. Malati, director, administration spoke of state-of-the-art cardiac rehabilitation programme, inclusive of preventive and therapeutic care for cardiac patients. "Based on one's lifestyle and a background of one's family history, relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and dietary recommendations are made," she said.

With a success rate of 98 per cent, MHF in its five years of existence has conducted more than 7,500 open-heart surgeries and 14,000 procedures in invasive cardiology.

"Four dedicated operation theatres performing 10 heart surgeries, two ultra modern digital catherisation laboratories performing 30 cardiac procedures every day makes MHF one of the largest cardiac care centres, Dr.KSS Bhat, cardiologist, MHF said.

MHF has appointed Dr K T Ganasekaran Iyer, as the new chief cardio thoracic surgeon from Karolinska University hospital at Stockholm, Sweden. He has also worked as a senior consultant in cardio thoracic surgeon at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad.