The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Wednesday launched a non-invasive procedure to treat angina (chest pain) and heart ailments.
The ‘Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP)’ has been introduced at CMCH at a cost of Rs. 2 crore under a public private partnership. Hospital Dean R. Vimala inaugurated the new wing in the presence of Deputy Medical Superintendent Isaac Christian Moses who is also in charge of the Cardiology Department.
Dr. Vimala said that patients would receive treatment free of cost under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme. This treatment was likely to cost between Rs.80, 000 and Rs. 1 lakh at private hospitals.
The CMCH had spent around Rs. 10 lakh for constructing a new building with the rest of cost borne by Vaso-Meditech which installed three equipment each costing Rs. 70 lakh. The CMCH was the second hospital in the State after Madras Medical College to offer this treatment. S. Ramasamy, director of Vaso-Meditech, said that patients who cannot afford surgery such as angioplasty or were at risk of heart failure would benefit from this treatment. In this, pressure was given on the legs for an hour for 35 days.
This would improve the blood flow to the heart and result in the creation of new blood vessels, which become a natural by-pass around the blocked arteries. It had already installed five equipment for this treatment at Madras Medical College last year, he added.
M. Vanithamani, Head, Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, D. Chakkravarthi, Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, were present.
