Govt move to widen GMCH coverage STAFF Reporter GUWAHATI, Nov 19 – Vowing to remove the fear factor from the minds of patients, especially when it comes to performing a bypass surgery, State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said that the State Government would initiate all efforts to widen the coverage of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) towards heart surgeries in the next couple of years. “At this moment, the GMCH is covering 40 per cent of the heart-related cases in the State but our aim is to cater to the needs of at least 80 per cent of the total cases,” the Health Minister said during a media interaction programme at the GMCH premises today.
“Every month, about 50 cases of confirmed cardiac ailments are reported in the State, both in the Government and private hospitals. With agents of the Delhi-based private hospitals too luring the patients, there is an ardent need to widen the coverage of the GMCH,” the minister stressed.
The GMCH, as a result of the academic tie-up with New Delhi-based Max Hospitals, has successfully performed 52 open heart surgeries since the Government had announced the coronary artery bypass graft programme on August 8 last year.
The Government under the programme has decided to operate 100 patients without charging any money with the help of the doctors roped in from the Max Hospitals.
“Of the 52 open heart surgeries, the hospital has performed till date, 49 were performed free-of-cost. The rest three paid for the operation on their own as they did not fit into our criteria,” Sarma informed. The Government is hoping to cross the 100-mark in the next three to four months.
The cost of performing the same surgery in Max Hospitals would be at least Rs 3 lakh, he said.
He went on to inform that the Government has so far spent Rs 2.52 crore, both for improving the existing physical infrastructure and procurement of equipment necessary for the surgery.
Sarma also opined that the academic tie-up with Max Hospitals has provided good exposure to the local doctors, who are now confident of performing bypass surgery.
“However, we are not in a mood to rush them at this moment and only after the GMCH reaches the 100 mark, we may think of engaging the local doctors,” he maintained.
Dr I S Vidhi, senior doctor and team leader from Max Hospitals, when asked, said that the equipment procured are of world-class standard.
“There are some shortcomings on the infrastructure front on which the Public Works Department is working,” Dr Vidhi pointed out.
Today’s interaction programme was also participated by most of the patients who underwent the surgery under the programme.
