Department of Nephrology

Introduction

Department of nephrology started in 1969 initially as a unit of department of medicine. Dr. Awasthi working in the department of medicine set-up dialysis unit around 1970 and first hemodialysis was done on 5th Aug 1971. However, the renal clinic already existed since 27th Oct 1969. Professor KK Malhotra was first faculty looking after the nephrology unit of the department of medicine after returning from USA. Thereafter, Prof. Ramesh Kumar joined in 1973. Before that in April 1972, first renal transplant was already done in the department. Subsequently, faculty in the unit of nephrology was Prof. SC Dash, who joined the nephrology on 25th March 1977 followed by Prof. SC Tiwari in September 1980.

In early days, nephrology was in a building called ‘old operation theatre’ block, where ward was on first floor (without a lift) and dialysis unit was on ground floor. Department shifted in main hospital block just before Dipawali in 1987 on 4th floor when neurosurgery shifted from 4th floor to ‘CN Center’. Recently department was renovated to match with a private set-up hospital with a teaching hospital expertise. Initially there were two types of resident in nephrology, one who were coming from medicine and other who were joining nephrology directly. In the earlier period resident joining nephrology directly were doing Diplomate Board of Nephrology through National Board of Examination.

In 1989 department of nephrology was created with two faculty and D.M. in nephrology was started in 1992. In 1989 Prof. SK Agarwal joined the separated department as adhoc faculty and then continued as regular faculty since 1991. Subsequently four more faculty members, Dr. Sanjeev Saxena, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. D Bhowmik and Dr. S Mahajan joined the department, while Prof. KK Malhotra, Prof. Ramesh Kumar, Prof. SC Dash and Prof. SC Tiwari and Prof.SK. Agarwal left the department following retirement (Voluntary or otherwise) or resignation. Dr Soumita Bagchi, Dr RK Yadav and Dr Arunkumar S joined the department as faculty members during the next few years. Currently, department has five faculty and thirteen senior resident strength. It has nine regular hemodialysis stations, four isolation hemodialysis stations, and two acute intermittent peritoneal dialysis beds. It provides one of best nephrology care for it’s all aspect, to patients of all socioeconomic background in a public sector hospital set-up including plasmapheresis, CRRT, SLED etc on a much subsidized cost. Currently department is doing nearly 140 renal transplant per year; majority being living related and also cadaver renal transplant.