ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday inaugurated a mega stent production facility at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, the PM said that the N-ovative Health Technology facility would reduce the country’s dependency on imported stent and bring down the cost of treatment for various cardiovascular diseases.
A stent is a tiny metallic tube that is placed in the artery (blood vessels) that reduces the risk of blood clot blocking and prevents heart attacks.
“You saved our foreign exchange [reserves] and gave us the opportunity to provide treatment to more poor patients,” PM Imran Khan told the gathering, further expressing his joy as he congratulated NUST on achieving the production locally made stents.
PM Imran noted that exports of the country had dropped, saying that no country can prosper when “more dollars are going out” of the country.
“Due to this factor, the country has to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” he stated. “If we want to develop our country, more dollars should come into the country than they go out.”
Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi, in his message, congratulated the scientists involved in the project. With the launch of this facility, “Pakistan would be able to achieve self-sufficiency in the manufacturing of cardiac stents and save foreign exchange as well.”
He urged the universities and medical institutions to focus on research and development.
Federal Science & Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry termed the innovation “another big step by Pakistan in medical technology” for the treatment of cardiovascular ailments. NHT has already secured the manufacturing licence from Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for mass production of cardiac stents and angioplasty (PTCA) balloon catheters, he shared.
Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said the availability of indigenously manufactured cardiac stents and balloon catheters would greatly improve the quality of life by offering affordable access to quality healthcare to Pakistanis.
