KARACHI: City Administrator Laeeq Ahmed on Thursday inaugurated another dialysis unit at the Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases, the second state-of-the-art facility of its kind run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

The unit-II, equipped with 25 modern dialysis machines, took the total number of machines to 50 at the KIKD where around 150 patients are given dialysis treatment on a daily basis.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the administrator said that the KIKD served the masses by inducting modern techniques for dialysis and other facilities. He added that the facilities at the institute would further be expanded.

Mr Ahmed also visited urology, lithotripsy, ICU, laboratory, ultrasound clinic and other parts of the institute and inquired after the health of patients.

He said that patients from the interior of Sindh as well as Balochistan came to the KIKD for treatment and added that measures were being taken for starting kidney transplantation facility at the institute.

KMDC principal Prof Nargis Anjum said that this year’s theme of World Kidney Day was ‘Live healthy life’.

She said that women were more affected by kidney diseases than males and added that diabetes, high and low blood pressure, weak bones, lack of blood and excessive use of painkillers were the main reasons behind the kidney-related problems among people.

She said that people over 50 years of age should get their kidney check-up done on regular basis.

In-charge nephrology department Prof Khurram Danial said that the number of patients facing kidney diseases was increasing considerably. “Preventive measures are more important than cure,” he added.

He said that the KIKD had become the second largest public-sector kidney hospital after the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. “CT scan facility would also be available while 200 patients would be given dialysis facility soon,” he added.

Other officials also spoke.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2021