Lahore’s Mayo Hospital stops cardiac health care due to financial issues

LAHORE: Punjab’s ailing healthcare system worsened after the province’s largest public health sector facility, Mayo Hospital, saw the suspension of cardiac care due to the non-availability of the required funds and other administrative issues.

The Cardiology Department at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital ceased the emergency and elective cardiac procedures due to a persistent shortage of life-saving drugs and surgical items following the stoppage of all the funds needed for these procedures by the hospital administration.

In a letter written to the CEO Mayo Hospital, a copy of which is available with Daily Ausaf, Prof Dr Imran Waheed, Head of the cardiology department stated, “It is to inform you that the department of cardiology will not be able to perform any emergency and elective procedure due to the complete cessation of the provision of all sorts of emergency and elective disposables needed for the performance of angiographies, primary and elective Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCIs), on account of stoppage of all the funds needed for these procedures by the administration and the Mayo Hospital Lahore director finance.”

The department further said that all cardiac procedures including emergency primary PCIs will remain suspended till the disposables are provided and funds are released for the purchase of these items.

The letter further requested that the funds for the provision of cardiology disposables must be released, if not, Prof Dr Waheed warned, all kinds of emergency and elective procedures would remain suspended till the provision with effect from October 21 (Monday).

The department’s letter said that the administration would be responsible for the suffering of patients, adding that this issue should be addressed on an emergency basis.

The cardiology department in its letter asserted that the department will not be responsible for any complaint or agitation by the deprived patients because the matter has already been brought to the notice of the administration thoroughly.

“The purpose of writing the letter was to ensure that the administration and the director of finance of the Mayo Hospital Lahore were well informed and aware of this state of affairs so that the department of cardiology is not held responsible for any mishap whatsoever may come,” the head of the cardiac unit said.