BSMMU launches Heart Failure Clinic
The clinic will provide treatment to outpatients two days a week
A Heart Failure Clinic was inaugurated at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital (BSMMU) on Saturday to provide services to heart failure patients.
With an increase in life expectancy and the ageing population in Bangladesh, the number of heart failure patients has been increasing due to heart diseases as well as other comorbidities like diabetes, kidney disease, etc.
Dr Harisul Hoque, a professor at the Department of Cardiology, BSMMU, told The Business Standard, "Heart failure is a special disease. When heart failure occurs, water accumulates in the body and the patients suffer from shortness of breath."
"Anyone over the age of 40 who feels excessively tired is at risk of heart failure. Around 30% of heart patients suffer from heart failure. Patients with diabetes and kidney diseases also suffer heart failure, but this disease is still neglected in our country."
From now on, BSMMU's Heart Failure Clinic will provide treatment to outpatients and heart failure patients at the hospital's Department of Cardiology two days a week, said Dr Harisul Hoque.
At the inauguration ceremony of the Heart Failure Clinic on Saturday morning, BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed said different types of heart patients are receiving various treatments across the country. However, these heart patients are being deprived of proper medical services due to a lack of supervision.
"The 'Heart Failure Clinic' set up in the Department of Cardiology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University will bring these patients under the same roof and take proper care of them," said Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed.
The clinic will collect information about inpatients and outpatients at the hospitals who receive treatments for heart diseases. This will provide a better understanding of the population suffering from heart diseases in the country and increase research opportunities.
A specific guideline for the long-term treatment of heart patients will also be created, said the BSMMU vice-chancellor.