PIMS Islamabad has become the first public-sector hospital in Pakistan to treat irregular heartbeats using Pulsed Field Ablation technology.
The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad has become the first public-sector hospital in the country to offer Pulsed Field Ablation, one of the world’s newest treatments for irregular heartbeats. Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal formally launched the program on July 8, when four patients with atrial fibrillation underwent the procedure. The technology reached Pakistan through Boston Scientific’s FARAPULSE system, introduced locally by Ferozsons Laboratories Limited.
The launch means Pakistani patients can now access advanced cardiac care without needing to travel abroad. According to The News, the project was supported under the Federal Government’s Public Sector Development Programme and forms part of a wider upgrade of the PIMS Cardiac Centre.
What Pulsed Field Ablation Technology Does for Irregular Heartbeats
Pulsed Field Ablation treats atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heart rhythm and a major cause of stroke and heart failure. The procedure targets the abnormal heart muscle cells that trigger faulty electrical signals. Instead of using heat or extreme cold, the technology delivers ultra-short electrical pulses to disable those specific cells while leaving surrounding healthy tissue intact.
This approach sets it apart from conventional radiofrequency and cryotherapy ablation, both of which rely on thermal energy. Because Pulsed Field Ablation is selective, experts say it lowers the risk of injury to the esophagus, the phrenic nerve, and the pulmonary veins. As ProPakistani reported, the method also shortens procedure time and allows more patients to be treated safely in a single session.
The core of the FARAPULSE system is a specialized catheter paired with a pulsed-field energy generator. The tool isolates the pulmonary veins, the area where most abnormal signals in atrial fibrillation begin. International studies have recorded high success rates with the system, and Minister Kamal noted success rates approaching 99 percent in appropriately selected patients, along with fewer complications than older techniques.
Why the PIMS Cardiac Program Matters for Pakistani Patients
Atrial fibrillation is widespread and often goes undiagnosed until it causes serious harm. Kamal estimated that between three and five million Pakistanis could be living with the condition, with many unaware until they develop a stroke, heart failure, or other complications. Access to modern treatment has long been limited in the public sector, pushing many families to seek care overseas.
The four patients treated at the launch ranged in age from 28 to 63 and came from Islamabad and Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Training for doctors, nurses, and catheterisation laboratory staff at the PIMS Cardiac Centre was carried out with support from specialists associated with the technology.
Alongside the ablation program, Kamal inaugurated Phase-I of the upgraded PIMS Cardiac Centre and launched a Patient Facilitation Assistant Service in the emergency department. He said the Rs7.2 billion cardiac facility, backed by an additional Rs900 million investment, would provide free treatment to eligible heart patients. The ceremony was attended by PIMS Executive Director Dr Rana Imran Sikandar, Cardiac Centre Director Prof Dr Fazle Aziz Mian, the US Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan, the US Consul General in Karachi, and senior officials of Boston Scientific.
A US-Pakistan Partnership Behind the Cardiac Launch
The program is the result of collaboration between American medical technology and Pakistani healthcare institutions. Boston Scientific, the US company that developed the FARAPULSE system, worked with Ferozsons Laboratories Limited to bring the technology to PIMS. The US Embassy in Islamabad highlighted the launch as an example of American innovation meeting Pakistani expertise to improve patient care.
The FARAPULSE system was the first Pulsed Field Ablation platform to become commercially available in Europe and has since been adopted in health systems across several countries. Its arrival in Pakistan’s public sector places PIMS among the hospitals worldwide offering the latest generation of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and other complex heart rhythm disorders.
For patients, the benefits are practical. Safer procedures, faster recoveries, and shorter waiting times mean more people can be treated closer to home. Kamal also used the occasion to stress the importance of strengthening primary healthcare, reviving Basic Health Units in Islamabad, and focusing on disease prevention to ease pressure on tertiary hospitals like PIMS.
