AFC Health Ltd (AFCHL), a local health care company, in collaboration with Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, renowned cardiac care facility in India, is going to launch a "Cardiac Care Center" in Khulna soon aiming to render quality cardiac services here.
In this connection, both the organisations signed an agreement Thursday at a city hotel.
The 42-bed Cardiac Care Center of primary investment worth around Tk 240-300 million will be ready for full-fledged operation in October this year, officials said.
Sunil Kapoor, regional director of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, and SM Saifur Rahman, managing director of AFC Health Ltd, signed the deal on behalf of their respective companies.
The signing ceremony was attended, among others, by ABM Ghulam Mostafa, chairman of the AFC Health Ltd, and Anas Abdul Wajid, chief of sales and marketing, Fortis Healthcare Ltd.
Under the agreement, AFC Health Ltd will provide capital for infrastructure and relevant machineries while the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute will give technical supports including specialist doctors, they said.
Both the companies were working for the launching for one and half years under a memorandum of understanding (MoU), and they already started trial of different machineries at the center, located at Sonadanga area in Khulna Sadar.
Cost of the cardiac services at this center will be reasonable and affordable to the people, an official said, hinting that it will be like that of the Labaid hospital in the city.
"The Cardiac Care Center will be a significant step in the furtherance of quality cardiac care. It is a one-stop destination for all heart related ailments for local patients and its adjoining areas. Equipped with cutting edge technology and a team of super-specialists in cardiology, the center would aid early diagnosis and prompt treatment that will substantially improve clinical outcome in case of heart related diseases," Mr Kapoor said.
Mr Saifur Rahman said, "AFC Health Ltd is committed to contribute towards the healthcare industry in the country. Its partnership with Fortis Escorts will bring superior health care services and much needed knowledge transfer to Bangladesh."
Its services will include different diagnostic options like angiography to detect heart disorders as well as varied treatments including primacy PTCA or angioplasty, artificial pacemaker, coronary artery bypass, valve replacement and periphery bypass surgery.
Officials said that cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in Asia and it also emerged as a serious health problem in Bangladesh.
