Faisalabad Hospital Faces Cardiac Stent Shortage
A cardiac stent shortage at the Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology Hospital (FIC) has left a large number of heart patients struggling to get treatment, with stents reserved for critical cases only. The hospital has faced a severe shortage of the stents used in angioplasty for about 10 days, and new stock is expected in another two to three weeks.
Under the current position, stents are being given only to patients brought to the hospital in critical condition after heart attacks. Patients visiting the outpatient department, including people who have waited months for scheduled angioplasty procedures, are going without treatment. That split between emergency cases and waiting patients is the hardest part of the story for families.
Patients travel to FIC from Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Gojra, Jhang, Chiniot, Bhowana, Jaranwala and nearby areas. Many spend thousands of rupees on transport, only to return home disappointed without treatment.
What the hospital says
Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad Nauman Siddique said he would review all facts around the issue. The Executive Director of FIC, Professor Dr Hamid Saeed, said stocks had been arranged from cardiology hospitals in Dera Ghazi Khan and Wazirabad to address the shortage. He added that angioplasty procedures were continuing around the clock.
Those two accounts sit side by side, and readers should note the tension between them. Patients report that scheduled procedures are not happening, while the hospital leadership says procedures continue around the clock with borrowed stock. Both can be true at once if emergency work continues while planned cases wait, but the hospital has not yet published figures that would settle the point, such as how many angioplasties were done each day before the shortage and how many are done now.
The report also raised questions about procurement, supply and inventory management. It said alleged shortcomings in planning and negligence had made patients’ difficulties worse. No action against those responsible had been reported by the Punjab government or the district administration at the time of the report. Citizens have appealed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take notice, ensure an uninterrupted supply of cardiac stents and start action against anyone found negligent.
Why this cardiac stent shortage hurts so much
A stent is a small mesh tube that holds open a narrowed heart artery during angioplasty. When the artery stays narrowed, the heart muscle gets less blood. A delay of weeks therefore matters more for heart patients, since the condition can worsen while they wait.
The geography of this shortage adds to the harm. FIC serves a wide catchment across central Punjab, and a patient from Jhang or Chiniot who travels to Faisalabad and finds no stent has lost both time and transport money.
Public hospitals elsewhere in the country face similar supply pressures. A probe into faulty medical equipment at Sindh hospitals showed how equipment and supply gaps can disrupt care, while a suspected rabies case at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi underlined how much pressure city hospitals carry. Preventive care has had better news in other places, such as free breast cancer screening backed by Sherry Rehman, but screening only helps if treatment capacity keeps pace. In Faisalabad itself, households already face soaring food prices, which leaves less room in family budgets for private treatment.
What happens next
The next two to three weeks are the critical window. If new stock arrives on schedule, scheduled cases can resume. If it slips, the backlog will grow.
Three things would give patients clarity. First, a firm date for the new stock, rather than a two to three week range. Second, daily figures on how many angioplasties are actually being done. Third, a clear statement on who is responsible for the planning gap.
Until then, patients face a hard choice between travelling to FIC in hope or waiting at home. That is why the appeal to the chief minister asked for both immediate supply and accountability.
The original report on this shortage was published by ProPakistani.
What is causing the cardiac stent shortage?
The hospital has faced a severe shortage of angioplasty stents for about 10 days, with new stock expected in another two to three weeks. The report also raised questions about procurement planning and inventory management.
Who is getting stents now?
Stents are being provided only to patients brought to the hospital in critical condition after heart attacks, while outpatient and scheduled cases wait.
