Odishas Health and Family Welfare minister on 6th November said a cardiac centre of excellence will soon come up at the state-run Capital Hospital.

The start of the cardiac centre would be part of the extensive reforms in the health sector under "Mo Sarkar" (my government) and 5Ts initiative of the state government. The Naveen Patnaik government has launched 5Ts- technology, transparency, teamwork, time limit and transformation- initiative to bring about transformational changes in the state. While informing about the cardiac coe, the minister said efforts have already begun with modernisation of cardiology department. An upgraded cath-lab and modern infrastructure will also be available in the flagship hospital of the Odisha government. Replying to a question, the minister said there will be no space crunch and a cardiac operation theaters for heart surgery will come up soon.

Besides, modern equipments, special Intensive Care Unit (ICU), additional beds will be procured where provisions of complex angiography, device closure, electro-physiological studies will be available, he said. On availability of cardiac surgeons, Das said steps are being taken to rope in more doctors and associates professors. Dr. Prabhat Kumar Das, eminent cardiologist Wednesday visited the capital hospital. Dr Das, with about 30 years of experience in the cardiac surgery will join the capital hospital, the minister said. Presently, he is head of the cardiology department at Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Bengaluru.

"After seeing the places, present infrastructure, outdoor treatment and others, I feel quite sure that there will be no delay in making the hospital's cardiology department a centre of excellence", Dr Das said. Meanwhile, the state government has completed construction of a building for the purpose. At present, around 3000 to 3500 patients are registered daily in the outdoor service of the capital hospital out of which more than 100 come for treatment of cardiac related problems.