PATNA : MCI inspector R Vijay Kumar, who on February 9 inspected the nephrology department of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), has asked the institute authorities to develop infrastructure required for kidney transplantation in the department at the earliest.

Kumar was there to ascertain whether the Institute had the necessary infrastructure and facilities to run the superspeciality course leading to award of the degree of DM in the subject.

However, IGIMS director Dr D K Yadav maintained the MCI inspector did not find anything wrong with the treatment facilities available at the nephrology department.

The IGIMS officials appeared quite hopeful of getting the MCI nod to start superspeciality course in nephrology.

The MCI is likely to inspect urology and gastro-intestinal surgery (GI surgery) departments on February 23 to ascertain whether they were fully equipped to start superspeciality courses leading to award of M.Ch degrees.

The IGIMS authorities are learnt to have assured the MCI that senior doctors of the nephrology department would soon be sent to either Delhi or Ahmedabad for undergoing training in kidney transplantation.

A senior IGIMS functionary stated that the institute would soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with either AIIMS, Delhi or an Ahmedabad hospital in this regard.

As far as tissue-matching facility required for kidney transplantation cases is concerned, the inspector allowed the institute to get it done outside till it developed the facility in this regard.

The MCI inspector also asked the IGIMS authorities to establish a separate ward for hepatitis patients. As of now, such patients as well as those suffering from renal problems are kept in the same ward of nephrology department.

The IGIMS authorities assured the inspector that a separate ward would be created soon for hepatitis patients.

The inspector, according to IGIMS sources, was also unhappy with the space allotted to the nephrology department. He was told that the department would be shifted to another building (diagnostic ward) soon.

The MCI inspector also asked the institute authorities to purchase more books for the main library of the institute and also for the nephrology department library.

He was informed that the IGIMS had recently purchased books worth Rs 1.89 lakh while order for books worth Rs 3.80 lakh had already been placed and that journals worth Rs 6 lakh were also being purchased.