Bhubaneswar, March 1: Capital Hospital in the city will soon have cost-effective cardiology, nephrology and intensive care facilities.

People can use these facilities here at half the cost that private hospitals charge.

This apart, the sick newborn care unit of the hospital would not only provide special paediatric care, but also take care of hearing and visual disorders in case of low birth weight babies, who are prone to such complications.

“While private hospitals charge between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 for an angiography procedure, it is available at Capital Hospital for a little more than Rs 5,000. For angioplasty (in which a balloon like structure is introduced inside the blocked cardiac artery to ensure better supply of blood), the hospital charges between Rs 60,000 and Rs 75,000 while private hospitals charge Rs 1.5 lakh,” chief medical officer Sudarshan Das today said.

At present, 25 to 30 cardiac patients visit Capital Hospital each day.

In the nephrology department, a new expert has started the dialysis process with the help of a four-member team of nurses.

“A large number of people are now suffering from stress and subsequently from diabetes. At present, we have one machine but the health department is planning to get more equipment so that more patients can be handled each day. At present, one patient is treated daily,” said a senior doctor.

“Three more nephrologists are needed to provide a 24-hour service now. Also we need to train more nurses for handling the responsibilities. More than 10 patients visit the department in a day,” he added.

Bharat Panigrahi, a former doctor at Capital Hospital, who is now posted as additional director, health services, said: “The launching of the ICU on May 28, 2010, has helped the hospital. At present, there are five beds and the process to upgrade it to a 16-bed facility is already on. When that is complete, more and more chronic and acute patients can be accommodated.”

“The plan is to have a 50-bed ICU at Capital Hospital within five-years,” he added.

“I have been witnessing the development of the hospital for three decades. Though the campus is huge and the hospital has all the ingredients to become a medical college, it is always neglected. The recent upgrade of the hospital is a welcome measure, but the state government should equip it with all major departments,” said Pitambar Parida, a bank employee said.

Sashi Bhusan Mishra, who is in charge of the sick newborn care unit, said: “The paediatric unit of the hospital gets around 150 to 200 patients a day, but the high risk clinic inside the unit, which began functioning since February 10, 2009, has so far helped 443 babies to survive.”

“But the most important function of the unit is screening of low-birth weight babies for suspected vision loss (retinopathy of pre-maturity) and hearing loss in association with two leading institutions in and around Bhubaneswar,” Mishra said.