Patna: A 200-bed cardiac unit is proposed to come up at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) Patna at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore to cater to the increase in number of cardiac patients coming to the hospital.

A separate five-storeyed building will be built for the new round-the-clock unit to house cath lab, pathology, City scan, MRI, City angio and Xray facilities. If any need arises at night, angioplasty and angiography will be performed here.

Cardiology department head Dr B.D. Singh said the new cardiac emergency will be a centre of excellence. "There are 23 beds at the cardiac emergency centre of the hospital in comparison to which the number of patients is very high. The new centre will end the need of referring patients elsewhere," Dr Singh said.

"We plan to accommodate all things at one place so that patients need not go outside for anything," he said, before adding: "Time is the most important thing for heart patients. Primarily, heart attack patients should be treated during the golden hour (within two hours of the attack). If treatment is started at this time, patients' lives can be saved."

Dr Singh informed that a detailed meeting was held recently earlier this week with the principal health secretary Sanjay Kumar on the issue. The principal secretary has directed that the preliminary project report be prepared.

For funds, two options are open - either the state government will bear the entire amount of Rs 200 crore or the same could be granted under the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Yojana. Modalities are currently being finalised for the amount to be invested.

Dr Singh said as soon as funds are received, work will start on the new centre, the site for which has already been earmarked.