The Akram Khatoon Medical Centre, a joint project of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) and the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA), was inaugurated by APWA President Laila Haroon Sarfaraz on Friday.
The “SIUT-APWA Akram Khatoon Medical Centre” has been set up as a satellite dialysis centre to facilitate the large number of kidney patients in Central and West districts of Karachi.
Ten dialysis machines have already been brought into operation where over 7,000 dialysis sessions are expected to be conducted annually. This centre would be of great benefit to the local community as it saves patients on commute time and cost.
The existing premises generously given by APWA have been renovated and refurbished by SIUT and also houses a water purification plant, an essential requisite for dialysis. Sufficient infrastructure has been developed to expand the services to include in patient care, consulting clinics and facility for minor surgical procedures due starting up in the second phase of operations.
Initially, the facility was set up by APWA as a maternity home along with an out-patient department but was taken over by the Sachal Rangers and finally returned to APWA only a few years ago. The National Executive Committee of APWA made the decision to run the premises in collaboration with SIUT, which will provide people quality health services free of charge.
At the inauguration ceremony, Laila Haroon Sarfaraz thanked Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi and his team for setting up the new facility and said this great effort will be of immense benefit to kidney patients in all surrounding areas.
Dr Rizvi thanked Sarfaraz and the APWA National Committee for taking the initiative and creating the opportunity to enhance patient welfare. It is estimated that almost 20,000 people suffer from end stage renal failure every year in Pakistan and Karachi alone accounts for 12 percent of them. Such dialysis centers spread across the city are needed to bring free dialysis to people’s doorsteps.
