Port Blair, July 3: The Member of Parliament, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Lt. Governor, A&N Islands to consider early establishment of CATH Lab in GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair for diagnose and treatment of heart patients.

The MP informed the Lt. Governor that people suffering with coronary heart disease is in a rise and in recent past we have come across many young people losing their life because of lack medical facilities in our hospitals. Patient suffering from heart diseases are kept under observation with medication and are referred to the hospitals in mainland only after their conditions become stable.  

The delay in providing cardiac treatment not only involves risk of life, but is also incurring huge expenditure, which is beyond the reach of a common islanders. An urgent need is felt to establish a Cardiac Cath Lab in the G.B Pant Hospital, Port Blair so that the process of coronary angiography and angioplasty etc. can be performed in the Islands itself.

Kuldeep further said that the former Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Jagdish Mukhi during his visit to the G B Pant Hospital in the month of June 2017 had expressed concern on the slow progress in establishing the CATH Lab and he was assured by the authorities concerned that the CATH lab at G B Pant hospital will be operationalised with in a month's time.

However, more than three years have passed since the commitment was made resulting in the Islanders becoming victims of the heart diseases.