PGI’s Nephrology Dept plans to start independent dialysis centre

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18

The Department of Nephrology at the PGI, Chandigarh, plans to start an independent maintenance dialysis centre for end-stage kidney disease patients by 2023-24. The department has been chosen as the Regional Training Centre for the South Asian region.

The department also plans to start special out-patient clinics to provide focused care, including post-acute kidney injury care clinic, living kidney donor clinic, comprehensive kidney care clinic for patients with diabetic kidney disease, in order to provide multi-disciplinary care at one place.

The department also plans to start an adolescent care clinic to aid the transition from pediatric to adult care services in children with kidney diseases.

Prof HS Kohli, who is currently heading the department, said, “Creating access for dialysis is one of the most important steps which ensures adequate delivery of dialysis to end-stage kidney disease patients.”

“Scaling up of the interventional nephrology unit will ensure independent management of difficult to treat cases. Availability of multiple options in the department is likely to enhance patient convenience and experience,” he said.

“The PGIMER is one of the leading tertiary-care referral centres in north India, which caters to a lot of critically ill patients. Acute kidney injury is a common complication in such patients and needs to be managed aggressively,” Professor Kohli emphasised.

“Upscale the infrastructure to improve assessment of critically ill patients and provide newer forms of extracorporeal therapies will be important focus areas for the department in the coming time,” he added.

Simulation models

The department will have a functional ‘clinical skills and training lab’ for training professionals on simulation models before the end of this year.

The lab is being built as per the existing international standards and will increase the exposure and enhance the confidence of trainees in practical procedures.

The Department of Nephrology was selected as one of the Regional Training Centres (RTC) by the International Society of Nephrology for 2021-26.

Under the RTC programme, the department will impart professional training to trainees and practising nephrologists from various countries of the South Asian region.