SUKKUR: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho formally inaugurated the first robotic surgery unit in the city at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on Saturday.

The unit has been jointly established by Sindh government and the SIUT at the Cheblani Medical Centre. Several successful robotic surgeries have already been performed at the unit over the last 10 days.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Dr Pechuho said that it was a great honour for her being here with Professor Adib Rizvi (whom she proudly described as her mentor and teacher).

She said her government and the SIUT were focusing on improving health services in Sindh and providing the state-of-the-art robotic surgery at the doorsteps of patients.

She pointed out that robotic surgery was now considered the future generation of surgical sciences and this unit would benefit thousands of patients coming from Sukkur and many other cities including Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze and Shaheed Benazirabad.

In his speech, SIUT director Dr Rizvi highlighted his institute’s ethos -- Free treatment with dignity -- and said that this centre of excellence in robotic surgery in Sukkur was established as part of the SIUT philosophy to remain at the cutting edge of technology for the benefit of common man.

He said it was a shining example of community-government partnership and SIUT plans to set up a regional robotic training centre to train the next generation of surgeons, both from within Pakistan and the region.

SIUT robotic surgery expert Dr Rehan Mohsin recounted benefits of the modern procedure to patients including less scar, less pain, less blood loss, less infection risk, shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery time, and said “each surgery costs to SIUT around Rs200,000 but is offered free of cost to the patients at this institute”.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2022