‘Kashi needs cardiology institute to ease patient load’

Each year, the number of cardiac patients is on the rise and those who need angiography and angioplasty, shows the figure, says Prof Om Shankar, head, department of cardiology, IMS-BHU

A 500-bedded institute of cardiac science should be set up in Kashi to provide proper treatment and care to cardiac patients from eastern UP and four neigbouring states, namely Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, said Prof Om Shankar, head, department of cardiology, IMS-BHU while welcoming the provision of ₹400 crore in the state budget for setting up a medical college in Varanasi.

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“A medical college in Kashi would help in reducing the patient load on IMS-BHU,” said Prof Shankar and demanded that the government must also set up a cardiology institute of international repute in Kashi.

Each year, the number of cardiac patients is on the rise and those who need angiography and angioplasty, shows the figure, he adds.

“Angiography of 5,000 patients was done at the testing facility at the department in the year of 2022, whereas 7,000 cardiac patients underwent angiography test in 2023. One may guess from the figure how serious the situation is.”

Prof Shankar says, roughly, there was around 30% increase in patients who needed angiography test in 2023 as compared to 2022 and 40% increase was noted in the number of such cardiac patients who needed angioplasty.

At angioplasty facility at the department, around 100 angioplasty surgeries was carried out monthly a year ago, but for the last one year, angioplasty is being done on around 160 patients at the department every month, said Prof Shankar.