PESHAWAR: The Khyber Medical University (KMU) is establishing two institutes to boost research and provide latest treatment facilities to the patients suffering from chronic liver diseases and diabetes.

“Research Institute of Haematology, Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, and Research Institute of Diabetology, Endocrinology and Non-Communicable Diseases will scale up research on diseases in local context and come up with best solutions,” KMU vice-chancellor Prof Mohammad Hafizullah told a meeting of heads of its constituent institutes held at the campus on Saturday.

He said that the Higher Education Commission had sanctioned Rs980.4 million for the KMU’s proposed projects to enhance research in the areas of medical sciences and cope with the challenges posed by increasing number of people afflicted with liver ailments and diabetes.

Prof Hafizullah said that both the institutes would extend healthcare facilities to the patients seeking liver transplantation due to cancer besides those with medical conditions like ketoacidosis, renal, cardiac, eye and foot ulcers.

The institutes will give advanced interventional radiology services for peripheral angioplasty, he said. These institutes will also look into the possibility of launching pancreatic transplant to provide cure for diabetes.

Both the institutes will offer opportunities to train doctors, nurses and paramedics in prevention and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases. This will offer a platform for researchers to conduct research on etiology, prevention and dissemination of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Pathology laboratories, clinical and epidemiological, basic genetic and stem cell research, and radiology services will be installed and shared by both the institutes.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2014