Pakistani cardiologists in Mauritius

A team of cardiologists from Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Pakistan, led by Dr Akbar M. Tauqeer and Dr Azhar Mahmood Kayani were in Mauritius for a week. They responded positively to the call of the Pakistani Embassy based Mauritius to make an observation of the Mauritian Cardiac Centre in Pamplemousses. In an interview with News on Sunday, the doctors reveal their assessment of the weaknesses and strengths of the Cardiac Centre and explain the high prevalence of cardiac diseases here. What is the aim of your visit? Dr Azhar: Our aim is to enhance the collaboration between Pakistan and Mauritius in terms of cardiology. We met the Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Anil Gayan, and the director of Trust Fund for Specialised Medical Care, Ms Vijaya Sumputh, to discuss the improvement and modernisation of the Cardiac Centre so as to provide a better service to local people. Our Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology has all the facilities and expertise required. So, we will be helping Mauritius to improve its techniques. There will be sharing of expertise and knowledge. You have visited and assessed the Cardiac Centre. What are your conclusions? Dr Azhar: The Cardiac Centre is indeed doing a very good job, but still, there are certain elements missing. The Cardiac Centre needs to make some investments in new equipment and use new techniques. It is important to strengthen the capacity of doctors treating heart diseases. Generally, heart surgeries have just one percent risk of mortality. To achieve such results, discipline, training of doctors as well as nurses and the use of latest technology are paramount. Hence, we will be working with Mauritius to achieve such results in the future. What are your proposals for improving service delivery? Dr Akbar: Our Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology Pakistan is well equipped and offers the possibility of advanced training for doctors, nurses as well as for technicians. We will give Mauritian doctors the opportunity to come to Pakistan and assist our doctors. They will learn quickly because the workload in Pakistan is not the same as here. They will definitely benefit from the expertise of our doctors. We encourage young doctors to take advantage of the different courses available on cardiac and other specialisations in Pakistan. The training does not limit itself to doctors only. We believe that nurses and technicians need a lot of training in order to support the medical personnel. The nurses and technicians are also welcome. Besides, a team from Pakistan will visit Mauritius every three or six months. The team will help Mauritian doctors to undertake very delicate surgeries. Therefore, doctors will have the opportunity to learn the techniques and procedures to be adopted during delicate surgeries. You referred to new equipment. What type of equipment do we need? Dr Azhar: The Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology in Pakistan is equipped with latest technologies to carry delicate surgeries on newborns, pregnant women suffering from heart disease, young children and adults. Unlike in Pakistan, we found that Mauritius does not have enough sophisticated equipment. For a successful surgery, it is important to have modern technologies. Firstly, Mauritius needs to have equipment like “Impella” to be used in patients who develop heart failure. Instead of using cobalt stents, Mauritius should start using plastic stents. For three years now, at the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, we have been using plastic stents because they are more efficient. The plastic stents begins to dissolve after six months and after about two years, it is fully absorbed in the body. This allows the arteries to heal naturally, which reduces the risk of blood clots forming as can be the case with some types of stents. How do you analyse the current situation regarding the prevalence of heart disease in Mauritius? Dr Azhar: The situation is similar to Pakistan. Mauritius has a high rate of cardiovascular diseases. In Asian countries, people tend to develop these diseases 10 to 15 years before the American population. What is worrying is that complications increase with other factors such as age and severity of illness. We must be very careful. What are the main causes of heart diseases? Dr Azhar: Some of the main causes include obesity, lack of sleep, unnecessary stress. smoking as well as some hereditary factors. Obese people should lose weight to reduce their risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. These persons are required to include physical activity into their routine. 30 minutes of physical activity per day is essential. Avoid fast food because it contains high levels of calories and makes you become fat. In addition, it is essential for a person to have 6-7 hours of sleep per day. Such sleeping hours will reduce the negative effects on our bodies and minds. Many people who do not get enough sleep tend to eat a lot and get tired faster. Stress at work or in everyday life is a major factor leading to the development of cardiac diseases. People should not worry too much about small quarrels because unnecessary stress affects health. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease. 80% of people who suffer from diabetes are likely to have heart problems. It is imperative to control sugar levels. Smokers may experience heart problems. Passive smoking may also cause cardiac problems. The risk of having heart problems if a parent was already a victim is 50%. If an individual takes all the necessary precautions, he can avoid being a victim of heart disease. Some people claim that after heart surgery, it is difficult to lead a normal life. How far is this true? Dr Azhar: It is a myth. After heart surgery, a person can lead a normal life. The person can walk, run and play. Psychologically, the person can be affected or uninspired but with time, the person will regain his strength. It is with the doctor’s help that the patients will regain confidence. However, I will advise everyone to take precautions. Prevention is better than cure.

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  [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"13352","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-22017 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"192","height":"167","alt":"Dr Mohammad Tauqeer Akbar"}}]]About Dr Mohammad Tauqeer Akbar Dr Akbar MBBS, FFARCSI, DM MD, FRCS (C-Th). Dr Akbar is Head of Department and Consultant, Cardiac Surgery, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology. He has also served in Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, among others.         [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"13351","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-22016 alignright","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"191","height":"157","alt":"Dr Azhar Mahmood Kayani"}}]]About Dr Azhar Mahmood Kayani Dr Azhar has over 20 publications and 30 years of clinical experience. He has the privilege of having been the personal physician to the President and the Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan for ten consecutive years, the Director General Medicine for the Army Medical Corps and Commander for the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology.