Lab expected to improve treatment of heart patients by next year

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THE cardiology unit at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital will be able to do more for heart patients with an RM11mil allocation from the Health Ministry to set up a catheterisation laboratory.

State Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the laboratory, which is needed to perform heart examination techniques such as angiograms and angioplasties, should be operational by next year if all went well.

“Patients need no longer travel all the way to Kuala Lumpur or Penang for treatment once the laboratory is up and running,” he told reporters after presenting prizes to winners of the Larian Sihat in Batu Gajah last Sunday.

Dr Mah said at present services at the unit remained rudimentary without the laboratory.

One for the album: Dr Mah with some of the participants of the Larian Sihat at Padang Changkat in Batu Gajah.

“We are only able to carry out electrocardiograms (ECG), echo­cardiograms and stress tests at the moment.

“Patients who are diagnosed with heart ailments by doctors here are referred to the Serdang Hospital in Selangor for further treatment,” he said.

Dr Mah, a qualified cardiologist, said time is a vital factor in heart attacks and with the laboratory in place, angioplasty procedures could be carried out immediately.

“Results based on an ECG are between 20% and 25% accurate while results from a stress test is about 70% accurate.

“The results of invasive methods are however, almost 100% accurate,” he said of the angiogram procedure.

“Once the entire unit is set up and running, we also plan to bring in a paediatric cardiologist,” he added.