Exclusive interview with Professor Nadeem Qamar — Executive Director, NICVD
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Professor Nadeem Qamar has had a 25-year long and enduring journey with National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi. After his MBBS degree from Liaquat Medical College, Jamshoro in 1984, Professor Nadeem Qamar went abroad to complete his residency in Internal Medicine from Franklin Square Hospital, USA and received his fellowships in Cardiology and Angioplasty from McGill University Canada and Ottawa Heart Institute Canada respectively. He has trained countless cardiology fellows specializing in Interventional Cardiology and Catheterization Laboratory Techniques, has authored many research papers and is a lifetime member of Pakistan Cardiac Society and Pakistan Hypertension League. Professor Qamar currently is leading the team as Executive Director of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) and also fulfilling the responsibilities of Secretary to Governing Body.[/box]
PAKISTAN & GULF ECONOMISTÂ had an exclusive conversation with Professor Nadeem Qamar. Excerpts of the conversation are as follows:
Ever since I became the Executive Director in February 2015, NICVD has changed. From one hospital, we are 28 units in different parts of Sindh: 10 hospitals and 18 chest pain units. The treatment offered at NICVD is completely free in all the satellite centers and chest pain units. Karachi NICVD is completely free for all general ward patients; only a small number of patients in Karachi are private patients and pay by choice. NICVD Karachi is the world’s largest single center for primary angioplasty (during heart attack). Last year we did about 9000 primary angioplasties in Karachi alone. There is 24/7 availability of cardiologist to perform procedures. There is development of 3 ICUS, HDUs in all 4 medical wards besides adding several ventilators and IABP. There is significant improvement in patient to nursing ratios. We now do almost all the sophisticated procedures done anywhere in the world. We have state of the art EP department. Surgical mortality has reduced from 25% to 4%. Critical care fellowship has been established which has added to improvement in mortality.
NICVD satellites are in Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Sehwan, Tando Mohammad Khan, Mithi and Lyari. Primary angioplasty is performed in all satellites besides echo, paediatric and adult OPD and Pacemaker Services and all other services except cardiac surgery. Cardiac surgery services are available in Sukkur and Tando Mohammad Khan. 781 done in Sukkur with 1% mortality and 204 cases done with only 3 deaths. Paediatric and adult both surgeries are done. Very soon cardiac surgery will start in Hyderabad and Larkana. We also are training fellows: about 150 of them in cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, paediatric and cardiac surgery.
In 2019 NICVD system treated 2.3 million patients. Our chest pain units is a unique program in the whole world where chest pain patients are given immediate first aid and in case of emergency are transferred to a satellite center or to Karachi center for an angioplasty. Around 9000 lives have been saved by these CPUs. 425000 patients have been treated.
In the future NICVD intends to start heart transplant program and also like to start stroke interventions (acute interventions during stroke) to prevent strokes from happening as heart attacks are prevented.