An article posted on The International News website, describes the unique, state-of-the-art service, which is set to cater for 100 patients.
Heart Hospice Home was inaugurated by Health Minister, Shaukat Yousafzai, at the Hayatabad Medical Complex last week. The pioneer however, was Cardiologist Professor Dr Zahid Aslam Awan.
The modest Dr Zahid Aslam was reluctant to be named in the article, according The International News reporter. The cardiologist said: I am not doing it for popularity or personal gains. The aim is to help the poor patients.”
Yet the article states that Dr Aslam was the first to donate Rs40 million for building the hospice, before asking others for donations to help him to establish a better service for heart failure patients.
He also designed the four-storey hospice building, which was completed in a speedy 14 months at a cost of Rs120 million.
“Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life limited illness no longer responds to care oriented treatment,” explains Dr Zahid Aslam Awan.
The soft-spoken cardiologist continues: “We spend hours to open the blocked vessels but don’t have time to share a few kind words when the same patient later comes with heart failure.”
The new centre appears to be taking a holistic approach to cardiac failure.
It will be equipped with a cardiac electrophysiology lab, housing equipment that is “not available in any lab in Pakistan and are seen only in a few advanced labs of South Asia,” according to Dr Zahid Aslam.
And in an innovative move, Heart Hospice Home has introduced telemedicine to its facilities, where patients can be treated from their homes using communications technology, while the doctors remain in the hospice. This service avoids the needs for patients to travel for follow-up care.
Yet, importantly, spiritual care is also highlighted as a key part of the centre’s approach and religion is viewed as a integral factor in promoting healing and curing depression.
You can read the full article on The International News website here.
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