KARACHI, Sept 17: The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on Wednesday held a certificate distribution ceremony for 18 doctors, paramedical staff and bio-medical engineers from Afghanistan, whom it trained for investigating and treating patients of renal failure.

Speaking at the ceremony, SIUT director Prof Adibul Hasan Rizvi said that the visitors -- trained in the technology of dialysis, lab-medicine, surgery procedures and preparation of patients requiring transplantation -- after returning to their country, would surely be able to work independently and in a fully-fledged way.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are often blamed for alleged terrorist activities within their limits, but the latest training in dialysis to the Afghans would help improve the image of the citizens of the two countries, he said.

The returning team would purely be engaged in life-saving practices and room would be created further for the training of more medical personnel form across the border in Pakistan, he added.

It was said during the ceremony the Pakistan government had already undertaken the task of establishing a kidney centre in Jalalabad, named Nishter Kidney Centre, perhaps the first of its kind in Afghanistan, and the SIUT was entrusted with the job of training the relevant staff and doctors in Karachi for six months.

“Now the 18 doctors, paramedical staff and bio-engineers are equipped with the skills of managing critically ill patients, especially those suffering from kidney diseases and renal failure,” said Dr Anwar Naqvi of the SIUT, associated with the training process.

However, one of the trainers said that the kidney centre project had for some reason been delayed and till the time the centre was completed the members of the out-going team would be performing at some other government hospitals and healthcare facilities.In view of the very high incidence of kidney disease and non-availability of relevant treatment facilities there, Pakistan had proposed to donate a kidney centre to Jalalabad to serve the poor.

The consul-general of Afghanistan, Abdul Ahad Khaliq Yar, expressed his gratitude to the government of Pakistan and also thanked the SIUT for training his countrymen for free.

He said the gesture would go a long way in strengthening the relations between the two countries.

Dr Mohammad Qasim Islahi, leading the team of healthcare providers from Afghanistan, said there was no kidney treatment centre in his country and training at the SIUT was very important for them.