Institute of Kidney Diseases ups services threefold

PESHAWAR: The Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD) in Peshawar, established in 2008, has inaugurated a new state-of-the-art facility that has expanded services by three hundred times, stated IKD Director Prof Dr Mazhar Khan.

This development includes the creation of a new outpatient department (OPD), effectively separating services for outdoor and indoor patients. The inauguration was conducted by the Advisor to the Chief Minister on Health, Prof Dr. Riaz Anwar, who opened the facility for outdoor patients.

IKD, established during the six-party MMA government led by former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, serves not only the people of KP but also patients from tribal districts, nearby areas in Punjab, and Afghanistan. Despite its significance, successive governments failed to focus on its expansion or introduce new facilities.

Akram Durrani had played a major role in strengthening health and medical services in KP by approving the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Khyber Medical University (KMU) and Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC).

One major hindrance to IKD’s growth has been internal politics among some old faculty members. Some, initially hired during the center’s establishment, have not updated their skills. Now with qualified and trained people available in the market, some of the older staff members are reluctant to welcome young, skilled professionals to join and serve there.

The previous Board of Governors, headed by Sahibzada Saeed, appointed a urologist Prof Dr Mazhar Khan to bring about reforms in the centre.Prof Mazhar faced challenges but swiftly implemented practical measures to improve service quality.

The new building has 22 rooms on the ground floor, including sections for nephrologists, urologists, and investigation staff. The facility can accommodate 300 patients and their attendants, having separate rooms and washrooms for female doctors and waiting areas for female patients.

“Upon entering the specialist OPD block with an OPD chit, a patient will exclusively exit with a prescription only. All necessary facilities will be conveniently available under one roof,” stated Dr Mazhar Khan.

He explained that the new building’s ground floor comprises 22 rooms, with six reserved for nephrologists and the remaining designated for urologists and investigation staff.The specialist OPD Block houses various facilities, including x-ray rooms and ultrasound facilities. Dr Mazhar highlighted the integration of investigations, such as x-rays, ultrasound, and laboratory services, within the same location. The new facility, with 24 rooms, represents a significant expansion from the four rooms available in the old hospital building.

“There are now more units, doctors, specialties and then IBP was also started. We increased our services by 300 times because last year, we had 120 beds, and presently we have 280 beds,” said the IKD director.

Despite the increase in services and capacity, there has been no recruitment of new staff. However, there is an urgent need for new nursing staff and paramedics to support the additional facilities. A proposal seeking approval for new expenditures was submitted to the government a few months ago, but approval is still pending.

Dr Mazhar said they introduced new specialties at IKD, including a separate department for pediatric urology with its own ward, OPD, and operation theatre-a unique feature available only at IKD and Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) in Peshawar. Another addition is andrology, which also has a separate ward, OPD, and operation theatre.

Also, Dr Mazhar Khan successfully resumed transplant surgery, previously halted with the retirement of Prof Asif Malik and Prof Attaur Rahman. A qualified consultant transplant surgeon, Dr. Shahid Khan, was recruited to reinstate transplant procedures at IKD.

Transplant surgeries were previously performed in the urology department.“Now, there is a dedicated infrastructure for transplant procedures, including a separate operation theatre, ICU, ward, and a specialized HDU exclusively for transplant patients. The transplant patients receive specially filtered air to prevent infections.

No proper refreshment area for doctors led to the creation of a special space in the new facility for rest, meetings, and leisure activities.Despite not receiving additional government funds, the hospital relocated all administrative staff to the new building, repurposing offices in the old building for patient use.In addition to tidy wards, the new facility offers 41 private rooms, including six deluxe rooms priced at Rs7000 per 24 hours.