PESHAWAR: The Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD) has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS), Liverpool Hospital and the Société Internationale d’Urologie (SIU), Canada, to provide advanced training to doctors, especially in the treatment of kidney stones, which are highly prevalent in the province.

The development comes amid the recruitment of the first-ever dedicated renal transplant faculty by a public-sector hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The three newly appointed assistant professors are awaiting approval from the Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority (MTRA), which is responsible for enforcing regulations to ensure legal organ transplants at five recognised centres. A total of 683 transplant procedures have been performed at these centres.

Director says renal transplants to be expanded

IKD Director Dr Kamran Khan told Dawn that young doctors would receive fully-funded training at centres of excellence in the United Kingdom for periods ranging from three to eight months to enhance their expertise in modern urological techniques and enable them to provide better treatment to local patients upon their return.

“Simultaneously, our faculty members, including Dr Samiur Rahman, Dr Muneeb Hassan and Dr Mian Fazal Manan, will begin performing two kidney transplants daily to address the growing waiting lists of patients,” he said.

Delegates from the partner institutions visited the IKD at the conclusion of a three-day annual conference in Peshawar.

They inspected the facilities before signing agreements to promote research, introduce advanced techniques and improve patient care and treatment outcomes.

“The IKD has also become a centre where international visitors can receive free training from our senior faculty members,” Dr Kamran said. He said that the institute had performed 64 kidney transplants since May and would soon increase the number of procedures.

The director said the facility had five intensive care unit beds and 20 general ward beds dedicated to renal transplant patients.

He said the IKD had been recruiting transplant surgeons following the retirement of Prof Asif Malik but had yet to appoint a permanent surgeon.

Dr Kamran said the institute would launch an FCPS training programme in renal transplantation.

He said the IKD had performed the highest number of kidney transplants in the province and was the first public-sector institution to receive recognition from the MTRA for renal transplantation. Most patients receive these services free of cost under the government’s Sehat Card Plus health insurance scheme, according to him.

A total of 378 free kidney transplants have been performed in the province under the SCP programme.

Doctors at the IKD said dozens of patients were awaiting free kidney transplants.

They pointed out that many patients undergoing dialysis urgently needed transplants, but a severe shortage of donors had left them with limited treatment options. Doctors said dialysis was a temporary arrangement and patients could eventually lose their lives without access to transplantation.

Dr Kamran attributed the achievements to the consistent hard work and dedication of senior doctors and other staff members working at the centre.

He said the SIU had been providing training to medical professionals in several countries, including Egypt, China and Canada.

According to the director, BAUS Vice President Dr Shabi Ahmed and Dr Altaf Qadir of Liverpool Hospital, England, have also agreed to start the Global Exchange Programme.

Under the initiative, doctors from Pakistan and the UK will hold monthly online meetings with IKD specialists to discuss patients’ cases, modern treatment approaches and scientific developments.

Also, noted British doctors will visit the institute in phases to perform surgical procedures in collaboration with IKD specialists.

“This practical cooperation will prove to be a milestone in the history of the IKD. Young doctors will greatly benefit from these exchanges, acquire new knowledge and skills, and provide modern treatment to patients at their doorsteps,” he said.

Dr Kamran said global initiatives in urology increasingly focused on expanding surgical capacity, training local healthcare providers and improving access to specialised care in low- and middle-income countries.

Meanwhile, officials said the MTRA had been working to raise public awareness about organ transplantation and donation.

They said the authority had organised awareness walks and seminars to encourage people to donate organs and help patients in need. Officials said currently, around 3,000 people in the province were undergoing dialysis.

They said kidney stone patients were primarily treated at the IKD, which had well-established endourology wards. Officials said the prevalence of kidney stones in the province was as high as 20pc, with men aged 30 to 50 accounting for 60pc of the patients.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2026