Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC), the only government-run heart hospital in the state, can expect a makeover shortly.

The health department recently directed senior officials to survey the institute and prepare a vision report on ways to improve and upgrade the facility.

The 170-bed heart hospital is getting an additional 350-bed unit in a new 10-storeyed building that is coming up near the existing building on the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) premises.

The health department is trying to assess how the infrastructure, resources and manpower required to run the health hub can be further augmented vis-à-vis medicare requirements projected for the next 25 years.

“A team of senior officials from the Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation (BMSIC) and the health department visited the centre two days ago and are in the process of preparing a vision report for IGIC. This report will be sent to health department principal secretary Vyasji after completion,” said IGIC director Dr S.N. Mishra.

One of the members, who inspected the centre, preferring anonymity, said: “Officials had recommended a multi-level car parking lot and multi-storeyed residential quarters for doctors, nurses and paramedics at the site where PMCH currently has its post-mortem unit. Also recommended were at least 50 more doctors, 100 nurses and 200 paramedics, a separate entrance for the hospital from Ashok Rajpath and state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratory. BMSIC will undertake the project.”

IGIC is the only government health facility in the state where operations like angioplasty, bypass surgery, single and double valve replacement and pacemaker insertion among others are carried out.

The government provides for free heart-related surgeries and pacemaker implantations for low-income group people at the hospital that was once affiliated to PMCH but is now an independent institution.

The institute, with 51 doctors, including contractual doctors, at present is marred by lack of infrastructure, resources and manpower to cater to a large number of critical cardiac patients.

“The health department has already sanctioned Rs 40 crore for the construction of a 350-bed unit. More funds will be allocated for making the proposed upgrade once the report is prepared and approved,” said the member.

The state government is contemplating to make the institution autonomous on the lines of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in the capital.

The institution would also offer super-specialisation courses like diploma in cardiology and doctor of medicine in cardiology.

While the diploma in cardiology course has already started at the institute, an MD seat, granted by the Medical Council of India last year, still remains vacant.

“A team of Diplomate of National Board (DNB) carried an inspection recently to review the three-year DNB course taught at the institute,” said a source, adding that increase in DNB seats are in the offing. At present, the institute has 38 sanctioned DNB seats.