A cardiac catheterisation laboratory at Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Government Hospital in Bhayandar West is nearing completion and is expected to begin offering free heart treatment before December, according to hospital superintendent and surgeon Dr Jafar Tadvi.
The facility will provide angiography, angioplasty and other cardiac procedures for patients from Mira-Bhayandar and surrounding areas. It will also examine and treat holes in children’s hearts, as well as blockages in the blood vessels of adult patients.
The cath lab is being established in a separate building near the hospital entrance. The location is intended to support quicker access for patients who suffer a heart attack, for whom timely treatment is important. Civil and electrical work at the facility has been completed, while the medical equipment has also been installed, Dr Tadvi said.
The hospital has prepared a 10-bed intensive care unit for the cardiac centre. Four nurses have completed training at Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital. A proposal seeking the appointment of doctors, technicians and other medical staff has been sent to the state health department, according to the hospital administration.
Approval for the cardiac cath lab was granted in March 2024. A separate structure was subsequently built within the hospital premises as part of efforts to expand the institution’s treatment capacity. The 200-bed hospital currently provides treatment for a limited range of conditions, but officials say it receives a large number of patients.
The new centre is expected to expand the hospital’s ability to manage cardiac cases and reduce the need for some patients to travel elsewhere for treatment. The hospital administration said the facility would be particularly significant for economically weaker patients because costly heart procedures will be offered free of charge.
Patients from Mira-Bhayandar, Mumbai and areas towards Gujarat are expected to be among those who could use the facility once it becomes operational. The final start date will depend on the completion of staff appointments and the remaining administrative steps. The hospital has indicated that the centre is likely to begin operations before December.
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