25 heart patients await their turn for angioplasty in Pune
There is no stock of cardiac stents in Sassoon Hospital since two months.
More than 25 heart patients are awaiting their turn for angioplasty at Sassoon General Hospital after the city’s biggest government run hospital stopped performing the cardiac surgeries nearly two months ago.
The reason — there is no stock of cardiac stents at the hospital as the rate contract through which the government buys stents, expired in December, said a senior doctor. Cardiac stents can be purchased only after floating tenders for which a rate contract has to be initially fixed by the government. “The rate contract is usually given for a two-year period after which it has to be renewed. The old rate contract expired in December and since the new one is yet to be fixed, purchase of stents has stopped,’’ he said.
Dr Ajay Chandanwale, dean of BJ Medical College and Sassoon Hospital confirmed this stating, “Yes, it is true that angioplasty operations are not being conducted since two months. That’s because the rate contract has expired and until new rate contract is communicated, we cannot make any local purchase. However, our local rate contract committee and director are working on it and issue will be resolved in a few days.’’
Sadly, Sassoon Hospital is the best bet for poor patients needing an angioplasty i.e. a life saving medical procedure to improve blood flow to the heart.
On an average, a minimum of 15-20 angioplasties take place on a monthly basis at the hospital under the government’s Jeevandayi Yojana where cost of cardiac stents required for surgeries is borne by government for Below the Poverty Line (BPL) patients. Dr DG Kulkarni, medical superintendent, confirmed that stents are not being purchased and an official circular from Directorate of Medical Education and Research
(DMER) forbid them to do so until new rate contract is fixed.
“I cannot comment on when this issue will be resolved, the decision has to come from higher ups,’’ Dr Kulkarni said. Surprisingly, joint director of DMER Dr Pravin Shengare said that there was no direction to stop conducting angioplasties.
“All hospitals in Mumbai are conducting the angioplasty operations, there is no confusion over rate contract or any such circular issued,’’ he said.