Harish launches paediatric heart surgery unit, 200-bed ICU centre at NIMS

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao inaugurated the paediatric heart surgery unit and a 200-bed ICU centre in the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here on Thursday.

The unit was started with collaboration of NIMS Department of Cardiothoracic surgery, Rotary Club of Jubilee Hills and Suven Life Sciences. Speaking to media later, Rao said all facilities were being provided a six-bed modern modular cardiothoracic intensive care unit. It includes class-1 air- conditioned isolation clean room suitable for heart transplant facility, a heart lung machine, a nitric oxide supply machine, a bronchoscope and a phototherapy unit. The unit would be help treat children born with heart ailments.

The minister said the government had increased the Arogyasri limit from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has provided Rs 200 crore as grant for the development of NIMS and also Rs 186 crore worth equipment during the last six months. The NIMS takes up more heart, kidney, liver transplantations and also lung surgeries. Earlier there were 166 beds, but now they have been increased to 200;74 would be added soon. There will be 400 ICU beds in NIMS, he added.

The minister said NIMS has 1,480 beds. The government was constructing a building for 2,000 new beds. The building would be coming up in an area of 32 acres in nearby Erramanzil Colony. "NIMS has a good name and the quality too has been good. Hence a large number of patients come there. Doctors and other personnel should always be ready to provide services," said Rao.

The minister said in order to cater to needs of city residents, the government was constructing four super-specialty hospitals in four corners. Apart from the super specialty facilities, new courses would also be started in the hospitals, he added.