Kota region’s first cath lab inaugurated at medical college

Health minister Kalicharan Sarraf inaugurated a catheterization laboratory (Cath lab) at the New Government Medical College Hospital in Kota on Sunday. The diagnostic imaging equipment will help the poor avail affordable cardiac treatment in Kota and nearby areas.

“Earlier, there was no cardiac treatment facility at any government hospital in Kota. Now, this cath lab at the New Government Medical College Hospital (NGMCH) will provide the facility to people in the Hadauti region,” said Sarraf while inaugurating the cath lab.

“Diagnosis of heart ailments, angiography, angioplasty and treatment of congenital heart diseases will now be possible at NGMCH,” he added. He said that the cath lab cost around ₹6.08 crore. “Cardiologist Dr HS Meena is there at NGMCH and SMS Hospital cardiology professor Dr CB Meena will also come to Kota once a week to provide his services in the cath lab. The state government will appoint associate professor and assistant professor at NGMCH within a month’s time,” Sarraf added.

He said that while the Congress government took 68 years to establish six medical colleges in Rajasthan, chief minister Vasundhara Raje has announced that eight medical colleges will soon be established in the state.

“Soon cardiac surgeries will be performed at NGMCH,” said Kota MP Om Birla, who was present at the event.

NGMCH authorities said that while angiography and angioplasty would cost ₹1,000 (which costs around ₹8000 in private hospitals) angioplasty will cost ₹50,000 (which costs around ₹1.10 lakh to ₹1.25 lakh in private hospitals).

MLA from Kota, south, Sandeep Sharma, Kota mayor Mahesh Vijay, principal of Government Medical College, Kota, Dr Girish Verma and other NGMCH officials were present on the occasion. HTC