Wockhardt to train Chinese doctors

India is emerging as a training ground for cardiovascular procedures. A collaborative teaching programme has been finalised between the cardiovascular department of Tongren Hospital, Beijing and the cardiology department of Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute.

Under this Chinese cardiologists will undergo a four-week angioplasty training under Dr Ranganath Nayak, Interventional Cardiologist, Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute, Bangalore.

"Angioplasty procedure in today's drug eluting stent era have made significant improvements in terms of long term results. Coronary artery disease in the Chinese population is similar to that in the Indian population and Chinese cardiologists are very keen to learn from us in India and provide the same level of expertise to their patients," said Dr Nayak.

According to Vishal Bali, vice president (operations), Wockhardt Hospitals, "The institute has emerged as an institution of choice for higher learning amongst cardiologists and cardiac surgeons from China.

A similar arrangement is currently on with Chinese cardiac surgeons undergoing training in beating heart coronary bypass surgery."

"India is poised to play an important role as the healthcare provider to the world, and these teaching programmes indicate that institutions and clinicians from India will also play a critical role in the evolution of new cardiac procedures for the fastest growing region of the world," said Bali.

"With this scenario developing there is increasing demand from foreign doctors especially from neighbouring countries like China, Bangladesh, Pakistan expressing their desire to visit Bangalore for a hands-on experience in new techniques of interventional cardiology," said Dr Nayak.

Dr Nayak recently demonstrated cardiovascular procedures at the China Interventional Therapeutics (CIT) 2005 Congress at Beijing.

The congress witnessed as many as 85 international faculty members presenting lectures, updates and reviews on recent advances, besides live case broadcasts which was attended by 1,500 cardiologists in China.

Dr Nayak performed a left main coronary angioplasty during a live teaching workshop at the Tongren Hospital, Beijing and also presented a paper from India on the 'Role of Drug Eluting Stents in a Real World Setting "� A Single Centre Experience' based on the angioplasty experience at Wockhardt Heart Institute.