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Pakistani Hospital Adopts Cutting Edge Chest Pain Center Promoted by American Medical Society, Surpassing Most American Hospitals

COLUMBUS, OH – July 16, 2002. Robert Weisenburger Lipetz, Executive Director of the Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers, was astonished to learn yesterday, that the cutting edge science his professional society has been advocating to American hospitals has been adopted by Ittefaq Hospital (Trust), of Lahore, Pakistan.

“This is remarkable and wonderful,” said Lipetz. “The most current clinical research shows that intervening early in heart attacks can save lives. Five million Americans will come into emergency departments with chest pain this year. Over a million will be having heart attacks and half a million will die. That is why we are encouraging all hospitals to adopt Chest Pain Centers, which exist in hospital emergency departments specifically to effectively address this problem. So far, only about 1200 of Americas 5000 hospitals have adopted Chest Pain Centers. To think that a third world hospital has built a facility more advanced than most American hospitals is just astonishing. It also proves that the Chest Pain Center concept can work anywhere.”

Ittefaq hospital (Trust), a 350 bed multidiscipline community hospital in Lahore, Pakistan opened its Chest Pain Center (CPC) April 7th, 2002, under the stewardship of Dr. Moazzam Baig Mirza, Chief of Clinical Services. Consisting of four dedicated beds in the emergency department, it is well equipped with cardiac monitors, oxygen supply, central suction, defibrillator and other equipment. It is staffed 24/7 by specialist registrars, CPC doctors & CPC nurses having C.C.U/ I.C.U training & experience, who collaborate closely C.C.U/I.C.U doctors.

“We have been striving to spread the message of the Chest Pain Center concept to American communities, expressed Mr. Lipetz, “It is just so great that the message was heard in Pakistan. Dr. Mirza contacted me for official recognition of his Chest Pain Center. I’m always delighted to send out Chest Pain Center certificates, but given the obvious obstacles, this one has special meaning.”

Ittefaq Hospital was granted membership in the Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers by special vote of the board of trustees and related expenses have been paid for out of the Scholars Fund, which was created by an unrestricted educational grant by COR Therapeutics, Inc.

About the Society of Chest Pain Centers
The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international professional society focused on improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and related maladies. The Society is committed to improving the quality of patient care through protocol-based medicine and the adoption of process improvement science to healthcare. SCPC is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.scpcp.org.

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