KATHMANDU: Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre has assured of providing quality and inexpensive services to general public as it observed its 14th anniversary today.

Dr Arun Maskey, acting director of the centre, said that they had provided services to around half a million patients since the inception of the centre 14 years ago. He maintained that the number of patients has been increasing. The centre provided services to around two lakhs patients this year alone, he added.

Maskey said that some 3,360 patients received cardiac catheterization while 1,408 patients underwent other type of surgeries. Addressing a programme on the occasion, Maskey maintained that the centre had provided free surgery to 626 children and 80 senior citizens. The government provided the funds for the surgeries, he added.

Meanwhile, Constituent Assembly member Narahari Acharya said that the centre should spread its services across the nation. Acharya added that discussions were going on regarding the opening of three other branches.