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‘CM and
his colleagues dodged the plan for Heart Center’
Dr Shawl shelves Rs 40 Cr project
Money donated to SKIMS
Srinagar, June 06: Accusing the Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah and his colleagues of sabotaging
his proposed Heart Centre in Kashmir, renowned
cardiologist Dr Fayaz Shawl Sunday called off
his Rs 40 crore project.
The Kashmir-born world-renowned interventional
cardiologist, Dr Shawl, who had acquired 40
kanal of land in Srinagar for the heart
institute announced the decision here addressing
a press conference.
Dr Shawl accused the Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah and his colleagues of sabotaging his
Kashmir project.
He said he had now decided to donate Rs 40 crore
aimed for the project to SKIMS.
“This is the saddest day of my life,” Dr Shawl
said. “I am stopping my project (Kashmir
Cardiovascular Centre), which was for the people
of Kashmir. This is Gupkargate.”
Gupkar is the official residence of Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah and several top
politicians and Dr Shawl drew parallels between
the sabotage of his Heart Centre with the
Watergate scandal.
Born and educated in Kashmir, Dr Shawl has to
his name a world record of 19,000 interventional
cardiac procedures.
His invention of heart-lung bypass machine
support system named after him as ‘Shawl
Technique’ has not even resulted in a single
death.
"At first the Chief Minister responded
expeditiously but then showed no interest and
started talking about other options," said Dr
Shawl.
The famous cardiologist said he met Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah on June 4.
“He asked about every detail from me and when I
told him that it was already with him, he
started to play with his blackberry. It was so
rude,” Dr Shawl said. “He also offered me
Custodian land at the rate of Rs 1 crore per
kanal but when I said that I am not going to
stop the project, he said ‘so be it.’”
A clinical professor of medicine and Director of
Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine at George
Washington University and Chief Consultant at
Interventional Cardiologist at Cardiovascular
Institute and Research Centre at Zulekha
Hospital in Dubai, Dr Shawl was planning to set
up the first super-specialty heart institute in
Kashmir that would have been funded by Shawl
Foundation founded by him.
This year in February, Dr Shawl had met Union
Minister Farooq Abdullah at New Delhi. Farooq
Abdullah had assured him of all help through
Omar Abdullah.
According to Dr Shawl, a Delhi based friend of
his also intervened and conveyed that Chief
Minister had instructed Minister of State (MoS)
for Housing and Urban Development, Nasir Aslam
Wani to take up the case.
“Mr Nasir Aslam Wani called me immediately. He
was wonderful initially,” he said.
“He told me that there is no problem and that I
should go ahead with my project. He told me to
change the ground breaking ceremony from June 4
to June 5 and asked me to call Chief Minister
for the inauguration.”
Dr Shawl said that after sometime, Wani informed
him that the construction could not be permitted
as road led to the site of the hospital.
“When I said that I can walk to the place and
so, I believe, Mr Omar can, he told me that this
is a restricted area,” he said. “How can it be
restricted area, when four houses have already
been built there? I showed these pictures even
to the Chief Minister."
Dr Shawl said that after the incident, he wanted
to meet Chief Minister but was denied a meeting
and when he threatened to spill the beans, his
sister was contacted. “They told my sister that
I shouldn’t say anything against the Chief
Minister.”
The leading cardiologist said earlier
dispensation led by Ghulam Nabi Azad also
created impediments for the project.
“One day, I got an email. It was written that
tell Dr Shawl if he can spend Rs 3 crores, he
will get the permission,” he said. “I responded
that I will stop the project.”
Dr Shawl has now donated the Rs 40 crores aimed
for the project to SKIMS. “I have talked to the
Director and he has accepted it.”
“I had even requested Mr Omar to be by my side
when I give this money to SKIMS but he didn’t
come. I am so sad. What is happening here?”
Dr Shawl
arriving today to pursue his dream project Would
Kashmir Cardiovascular Institute become a
reality?
World-famous interventional cardiologist Dr
Fayaz Shawl is arriving here from USA Monday to
oversee the progress of his proposed
Cardiovascular Centre in Srinagar.
The Kashmir Cardiovascular Institute and
Wellness Centre, is to come up near Nishat on
the outskirts of the city in the foothills of
picturesque Zabarwan range.
Dr Shawl has already purchased around 40 kanals
of land for the project, for which he is raising
funds through his charity Shawl Foundation.
“On my arrival in Srinagar, I will try to
personally pursue the initiation of the project
with the Jammu and Kashmir government so that
work is started on the much-needed cardiac
centre in Kashmir at the earliest,” Dr Shawl
told Greater Kashmir over phone from London,
during a stop-over on his way to Srinagar from
Washington.
Regarding his dream project Kashmir
Cardiovascular Institute and Wellness Center, Dr
Shawl said that he had initially got
disheartened by the unnecessary hurdles being
created in the project at various levels. “But
after I got in touch with the Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah, I was really overwhelmed by his
quick and positive response,” he said said and
added that the Chief Minister not only assured
of his full support in the clearance of the
project, but also asked his Minister of State
for Housing Nasir Aslam Wani to personally look
into the matter so that the permission for the
construction of this exclusive and much-needed
heart centre in Srinagar is not delayed any
more. “I am grateful to both the Mr Omar and Mr
Wani, as they have assured of full support in
this distinctive endeavour,” Dr Shawl said.
“I have earned lot of fame and money and want to
do something for my people now. I hope that the
Kashmir Cardiovascular Centre will generate
revenue that can be spent on the poor patients
of the State who cannot afford treatment. I like
to use the phrase Charge the Rich and feed the
Poor,” Dr Shawl said.
“During my stay in Srinagar, I will be also
doing procedures, as per the past practice, in
the cardiology department of SKIMS, for which I
am bringing along equipment and supplies worth
over $ 250,000 (USD) for the needy patients,” Dr
Shawl said and acknowledged the cooperation
being extended to him by the SKIMS authorities
including its director Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar and
head of Cardiology Department Dr Khursheed Iqbal.
“I am appreciative of the SKIMS authorities for
making available the hospital infrastructure
including the cath lab to perform angioplasty
procedures on the needy and poor patients,” he
said.
Dr Shawl will also be giving a talk on the
concept of “Healthy Living” at SKIMS auditorium
during his stay here.
Born in Kashmir, where he also completed his
MBBS from Government Medical College Srinagar,
Dr Shawl is presently, Clinical Professor of
Medicine and Director of Interventional
Cardiovascular Medicine at George Washington
University, Washington DC and Director
Interventional Cardiology at Washington
Adventist Hospital. Recently he has taken up
another assignment as Chief Consultant
Interventional Cardiologist at Cardiovascular
Institute and research centre at the Zulekha
Hospital, Dubai.
Having performed 19,000 interventional cardiac
procedures (a world record), in addition, Dr
Shawl’s invention of a technique of heart - lung
bypass machine support system (Called after his
name “ Shawl technique”) has also set a record
of not a single death during the procedure in
case of a serious complication. He continuously
travels through India, Pakistan, South America
and the Middle East to assist perform intricate
cardiac procedures as a means of education.
Cancer
of corruption has plagued govt: Dr. Shawl
A Kashmiri-American cardiologist, Dr. Fayaz
Shawl today alleged that the state
government has rejected his proposal of a
state-of-art heart hospital he intended to build
in the Valley.
Alleging that the state government was plagued
with a “cancer of corruption’, Dr. Shawl in a
hurriedly called press conference here today
said that the proposal of the heart hospital, he
intended to start here for the poor patients,
has not been okayed by the state government
although he was supposed to be informed about it
by June 05.
He said he could have gone for such a hospital
somewhere else in Delhi, Mumbai, Karachi or
Singapore “but it is only because I wanted to do
something for my own poor people of the Valley
that brought me here.”
In the year 2004, Dr. Shawl said, then Chief
Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had asked him to
construct the proposed hospital on Zabarwan
foothills. “He (Mufti) even took me to the
proposed site and then Finance Minister Tariq
Hameed Qarra even set in motion the process for
formally handing over the site”.
But then, there was change of guard in the state
and he was told to meet the new Chief Minister,
Omar Abdullah who in turn directed him to
Minister of State for Housing and urban
Development, Nasir Aslam Wani, Dr. Shawl said.
During his meeting with Wani, Dr. Shawl alleged
that he was that the area where he wanted to
construct the said hospital was in the Green
Belt of Dal Lake and no construction was allowed
there.
But refuting this, Dr. Shawl said four other
buildings including the residences of Principal
Government Medical College was Advocate General
were already in the so-called Green Belt. He
even added that the he had been informed by the
Town Planner that the proposed site was not in
the Green Belt.
Accusing the government of creating unnecessary
hurdles for the proposed hospital, Dr. Shawl
said that he even met the Chief minister Omar
Abdullah again yesterday who, he alleged, seemed
non-serious as he was “playing with his mobile
phone” while he (Dr. Shawl) was talking with
him.
He alleged that Omar Abdullah told him that he
would give him custodian land for the hospital
provided he was ready to pay Rs one crore per
kanal or he must take over the Kashmir Nursing
Home.
He said Chief Minister even told him that he
must submit a formal project report then only
could government consider his proposal.
He informed that irked by this attitude, he had
told the Chief Minister that his government was
plagued with “cancer of corruption” and even his
MoS Housing and Urban Development was “corrupt”. |
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