Kottayam GMC awaits setting up of Cathlab

A second cathlab is about to be set up at Kottayam Government Medical College hospital.The medical college is the only government institution to have conducted heart-transplant surgeries and conducts more than 1000 surgeries in a year,

The MCH authorities have been running pillar to post for the establishment of the new unit, as the present one is nine years old and using equipment with obsolete technology.

The construction of the building that is to house the new cath lab is already complete and the authorities are waiting installation of the Rs. 5.5 crore equipment. The government has yet to take a decision with regards to the machinery installation. This delay is affecting the functioning of the cardiology department, which has brought recognition to the MCH, as well as the medical education department in the state.

"The government has assured us of sanctioning a second cathlab but no concrete decision has come on that yet," Dr T.K. Jayakumar, Professor, Cardio-thoracic surgery at the Kottayam MCH told the Deccan Herald.

"The existing one is not enough to meet the treatment needs of the patients," he added.

Dr Jaya Kumar headed the team that successfully performed the heart-transplant surgery. The cardiology department has a footfall of 300 outpatients and between 25 and 40 in-patients are admitted everyday.

The government sanctioned Rs 14 crore to the department in 2014, which helped it set up three modular operation theaters and an 18-bed ICU along with supporting equipment.

A second cathlab will increase the hospital's capacity to serve patients, from the poorer sections of society.