First dual chamber cardiac pacemaker implantation in the state was successfully done today at the Heema Hospital here.
Itanagar
Setting up a new milestone in the medical history of the state, the first dual chamber cardiac pacemaker implantation in the state was successfully done today at the Heema Hospital here.
The dual chamber cardiac pacemaker was implanted on a 52-year-old male patient from Dari village in West Siang district, by the state’s first and, as of now, the lone cardiologist Dr Rinchin Dorjee Megeji, and was assisted by Anaesthetist Dr G Zirdo, and other technical staffs.
A cardiac pacemaker is a medical device that generates electrical impulse delivered through electrodes to contract the heart muscle and regulate the conducting system of the heart. This interventional cardiology is indicated to patients suffering from heart dysfunctions such as Atrio Ventricular block (AV block), also known as complete heart block, or slow heartbeat, etc.
Speaking to The Dawnlit Post, Dr Megeji informed that the patient, who is a farmer by profession, was earlier diagnosed with complete heart block and was showing its symptoms like shortness of breath on walking, tiredness, dizziness, etc, and the class one recommendation was pacemaker implantation.
Informing that the there are two types of pacemakers, one being a single chamber and another being a double chamber, he informed that single chamber pacemaker has been implanted by the doctors in the R K Mission hospital but this is the first dual chamber pacemaker implantation in the state. He added that the pacemaker used today is one of the best quality double chamber pacemakers in the world, and is also MRI compatible.
Informing that there are about 50- to 60 patients in the state with electrical problems of the heart, Dr Megeji has appealed to the people to take the benefits of the facility when it is in their doorstep. He informed that today’s implantation had cost 70 percent less to the patient than what he would have to spend in other hospitals, excluding the travelling, lodging and food cost.
Commenting on why there was no such procedure taken up in the state earlier, the state’s lone cardiologist informed that it is because there was no cardiologist in the state and also because there is absence of any full pledged cardiology department with CAT Lab, full pledged ICUs, logistic and technical support, etc, in hospitals across the state, which is very imperative to undertake cardio related procedures.
Informing that as of now they have complete set up in the Heema Hospital for pacemaker implantation, Dr Megeji expressed confidence that slowly the hospital will have a full pledged Cardiology department.
Terming the cardio facility in the Heema hospital a boon for the people of the state, Dr Megeji said that patients with the electrical problem of the heart now don’t need to go outside and that those who have already undergone such procedure can also get their re-checkups done here if they want to.
Speaking on the absence of more cardiologists in the state, Dr Megeji informed that the reason could be because most cardiologists won’t come here as they get super high salaries in metro cities besides other facilities, and also because the procedure of becoming a cardiologist is highly challenging.
He informed that after completing MBBS, one has to clear competitive examination and then spend three more years which is very gruelling, and takes a lot of energy and time and by that time many get married and leave the practice.
Sharing his own view on the scenario, Dr Megeji informed that after working for three years in the hospital, he felt that Cardiology is the department which is lagging in the state. Thus, with support from the hospital’s CMD Dr B Rana, he completed his specialist practice in Cardiology, and also because “if our own people won’t help each other then who will?”
Meanwhile, CMD Dr Rana said that today’s achievement is a proud moment for not only the hospital but the state as a whole. He added that the state government should also think of starting full pledge cardiology department in the government hospital.
