The coronary angiogram machine procured with Tk 5 crore some eight months ago was installed in May.

Leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), Chittagong unit and the cardiology department teachers urged the government on several occasions for recruitment of some key persons in this regard. But the authorities concerned in the government so far responded very little to equip CMCH with an 'Invasive Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery'.

BMA leaders at a press meet last month had suggested recruitment of some 14 personnel to put the coronary angiogram machine into immediate operation. The suggestions included one associate professor, two assistant professors, two assistant registrars, two technicians and four trained nurses to start cardiac surgery at the hospital.

"We also need some vital ancillary equipment like catheter," said Dr AKM Monzur Morshed, head of cardiology department. "Our priority is to start the coronary angiogram machine and if it comes into operation the hassles of cardiac patients of greater Chittagong will be reduced to a great extent," he said.

However, Dr Morshed and BMA General Secretary Dr Khurshid Jamil Chowdhury told The Daily Star that the coronary angiogram machine is expected to start operation from September as the government has okayed appointment of five people in this connection.

"Of them, two are assistant professors, one consultant and two medical officers. Four of them were appointed on attachment while one, Dr Mir Jamal, was here on posting from National Institute for Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD)," said Dr Khurshid, also the deputy civil surgeon of the district.

But, none of five newly recruited personnel joined the hospital yet, sources at CMCH said.

BMA leaders said that if the facilities were introduced at the hospital 100 cardiac surgeries could be operated at CMCH that might save a huge foreign exchange of around Tk 3.5 crore annually.

They said a cardiac surgery would cost a maximum of Tk 50,000.

But it would cost around Tk 1 lakh to Tk 3 lakh if a patient goes to Dhaka or India for such a surgery.

Dr Khurshid Jamil said that the C-arm machine of the cardiology department of the hospital went out of order forcing suspension of transplantation of pace makers (TPM) since August last year.

According to a statistics available, some 3,000 of around 5,000 patients got echocardiogram done at the cardiology department and 90 got TPMs since 1997.