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Review
. 2017 Nov-Dec;69(6):790-796.
doi: 10.1016/j.ihj.2017.09.219. Epub 2017 Sep 27.

Know thy neighbors: The status of cardiac surgery in the South Asian countries around India

Nazmul Hosain  1 , Farzana Amin  2 , Somaiya Rehman  3 , Bhagawan Koirala  4
Affiliations
Review

Know thy neighbors: The status of cardiac surgery in the South Asian countries around India

Nazmul Hosain et al. Indian Heart J. 2017 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: The South Asian neighboring countries of India include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, The Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Interestingly all these countries possess either a land or a sea border with India and no border among themselves. These countries have historic, cultural, ethnic and genetic links with India. The paper describes the developmental history and current status of cardiac surgery in these countries.

Methods: Thorough search of the printed and electronic materials has been made. The authors visited all these countries and contacted the eminent surgeons personally or through mails. All the information is cross-checked and compiled. Record keeping is not well organized in most of these countries. Best information often came from unusual sources like Anesthetists' society or the corporate houses.

Results: Four of these countries Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have their cardiac surgical programs. Collectively they perform around 38000 cardiac operations a year which is a quarter of the cases performed in India. These countries are important sources of medical tourism in India which is worth 3 billion US$ of business annually.

Conclusion: When the number of operations per million populations is considered, Bangladesh and Nepal are lagging behind India where as Pakistan has a comparable figure. Sri Lanka with 265 cardiac operations/million populations has the best figures in the region. However when compared with the Western countries even the Lankan figures also look quite inadequate.

Keywords: Cardiac surgery; Indian neighbors; Medical tourism; South Asia.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The surgical team of the first open heart surgery of Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Military Hospital on 4th March 1970.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cardiac Surgical Centers in the Neighboring countries of India. A. Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan; B. NICVD Dhaka, Bangladesh; C. Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh D. Manmohan CVT Center, Kathmandu, Nepal.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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