NATIONAL 2 -[GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE (Spotlight Weekly)]

Investing Into Future

Under construction state-of-the-art facilities to cardiac patients are still inaccessible to common Nepalis

By BHAGIRATH YOGI

As he was heading toward his party office, Hari Krishna Shrestha--a veteran freedom fighter and President of Nepal Praja Parishad, felt severe pain in his chest three years ago. He was rushed back to his home and a family doctor was consulted. After being checked-up at government-run and private hospitals, doctors advised him to visit New Delhi to undergo open heart surgery. After spending nearly Rs 600,000 at the Escorts Heart Care and Research Center in the Indian capital, he returned home.


Norvic Center : Center of excellence in the making

"Now, I am as fit as earlier," the 81-year-old politician told SPOTLIGHT on Sunday, in Hotel Blue Star. "I have come here to express my gratitude to Dr. Naresh Trehan and his team who gave me a new life."

All Nepalis may not be as fortunate as Mr. Shrestha. As heart related disease, previously known as "rich men's disease," continues to expand to low income strata of the society and younger population, cardio-vascular problems are emerging as one of the important public health threats in Nepal. According to an estimation, nearly 13 percent of the country's population suffer from cardio-vascular diseases. But the facilities available within the country to treat the patients are quite limited.

Though the first close heart surgery was performed in Bir hospital by foreign experts and Nepalese doctors way back in the mid-eighties, the oldest hospital of the country is yet to develop adequate facilities to treat cardiac patients. Tribhuvan University's Teaching Hospital is performing open heart surgeries for some time now but has not been able to function in a full-fledged way as it doesn't have `cath-lab' (the equipment needed to examine heart before performing coronary heart surgery) that costs Rs 50 million. The Martyr Gangalal Heart Care Center in the capital lacks both manpower and resources to offer services to the patients in a reliable way.

Then entered the private sector. With the government's policy of allowing private sector to provide quality health services, Chaudhary Group-- one of the leading industrial and business houses of the country-- set up the 30-bed Norvic Heart Command Center

last year to provide state-of-the-art facilities to cardiac patients in Nepal. "We have already procured Cath-Lab and are constructing a Cardiac Surgery Theater. We are expanding capacity of our Center to 50 beds so as to turn it into a super speciality cardiac center in the country by next year," said Basanta Chaudhary, executive chairman of the Center. As new facilities will be available, by-pass surgery will be done within the country.

With management and technical support from the renowned Escorts Heart Center, the Norvic is offering quality services to cardiac patients. "We are committed to provide one of the best management and services among health institutions in the country," said Chaudhary. "The Center plans to develop 200-bed hospital in the future at a total project cost of Rs 250 million."

Set up in 1988, Escorts is a world renowned institution known for its quality service. "We have performed nearly 3000 open heart surgeries last year," said Dr. Trehan, executive director of the Escorts.

According to Dr. Trehan, angioplasty or cardiac surgery costs up to IRs 150,000 at his Center. That is simply unaffordable to majority of the Nepalese. "We have proposed health insurance scheme by paying a premium of Rs 2000 per annum so that even low income people could afford costly treatment," said Dr. Trehan, addressing a public awareness program organized by Norvic-Escorts Heart Care Center and Mrigendra-Samjhana Guthi in the capital."You (Nepalese) should also pressurize your political leaders to initiate similar schemes."

There has been some initiative in this regard lately. The Dharan-based B. P. Koirala Institute of Medical Sciences has launched health insurance scheme on a pilot basis in one village development committee each in Sunsari and Morang districts. Under the scheme, adults pay Rs 15 and children Rs seven per month against which they receive free medical services at their door-steps.

"The government should give top priority to initiate such schemes in an institutional way," said Dr. Mrigendra Raj Pandey, a senior cardiologist and chairman of Nepal Cardiac Society. "The private sector should also provide health services to people at minimum profit margin."

Agrees Chaudhary, "The Norvic is part of our commitment to the country and society and it is not for profit-making. Of course, we want to make it sustain on its own."