Angioplasty, pacemakers: At AIIMS Delhi, why wait times for key procedures have doubled

Procedures such as angioplasty, placing stents and pacemakers, and defibrillation are carried out in these labs.

Sources said that procedures such as radiofrequency ablation for arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) are currently not being carried out, while the other procedures are seeing delays. “Several cardiac procedures and interventions have been cancelled. Earlier, the waiting time was three months. It has now gone up to six months,” a source said.

When contacted, Dr Rajiv Narang, who heads the Cardiology Department, said that a procurement procedure is underway. “You should talk to the administration,” he said.

Professor in charge of media, Dr Rima Dada, said that two more such labs will be purchased in a few months and that the process is on. “There are two more labs in the AIIMS Cardiac Radiology Department — one of which we use for interventions on patients just like in normal cath labs,” she said.

A senior official said machines for the catheterisation labs are procured through a tendering process. “One tender was floated a long time ago and another recently. AIIMS Delhi Director Dr M Srinivas also held meetings with officials from the (Cardiology) department and options were explored with a company, which specialises in infrastructure development and procurement of medical equipment and devices. Discussions are still on,” an official said.

A senior resident doctor said that with two labs not in use, both patient care and doctors’ training have been impacted.

Catheterisation labs play a crucial role in diagnosis and treatment of various cardiac and vascular conditions. The machines are designed to perform minimally invasive procedures and identify and treat a range of cardiovascular issues, including coronary artery disease, heart attacks, angina (chest pain), congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease (affecting the limbs), pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs).

In these labs, teams led by interventional cardiologists work in coordination with nurses, X-ray technologists, and other support personnel.

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