The waiting game: Child urologists yet to be hired at IKD

Parents forced to shift children to SIUT in Karachi for treatment.

PESHAWAR: The Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD) in Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) has yet to appoint paediatric urologists, insiders told The Express Tribune.

Although the posts were advertised in November 2014, the facility failed to interview candidates despite completing initial scrutiny, said one person familiar with the matter.

Requesting anonymity, he said the administrative affairs at the facility have been mismanaged at the higher levels. He put the blame on HMC Chief Executive Dr Mumtaz Marwat. However, when contacted, Marwat said the process of appointing child urologists is under way and a thorough scrutiny is being conducted.

“The posts which were advertised in August 2014 were only recently filled,” he said. “It would therefore take some time for the posts advertised in November to be filled.” Speaking about the matter, Dr Mushtaq Khattak, a surgeon who is on the selection panel, informed The Express Tribune the process is likely to be completed by March.

However, IKD Director Ataur Rahman said he would have recruited paediatric urologists within a month had he been authorised to complete the selection process. “Since we don’t have the right people at the institute, adult urologists have been compelled to perform surgeries on children,” he added.

Better than nothing?

The absence of paediatric urologists has inconvenienced many patients at IKD.

According to the insider, parents have been forced to shift their children to the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) in Karachi for treatment.

“And then those who cannot afford to travel to Karachi are left with the option of having an urologist for adults operate on their children,” he said. “It is unfortunate we cannot provide them with paediatric specialists, but something is better than nothing.”

The official said over 30% of patients treated at IKD are children and a large number of patients from the province, tribal areas and Afghanistan frequent the facility.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2015.