Mpilo Hospital performs first renal biopsy Dr Nitin Kolhe demonstrates how to use the renal equipment at Mpilo Central Hospital while Mpilo doctors and nurses look on

Natasha Adam, Chronicle Reporter

MPILO HOSPITAL has performed its first renal biopsy procedure in partnership with specialists from the Royal Derby Hospital in England as part of an educational training initiative for Zimbabwean renal clinicians.

Two renal biopsy procedures were performed for the first time at Mpilo Hospital on Thursday and Friday by Mpilo’s clinical nephrologist Dr Shepherd Kajawo with assistance from Dr Nitin Kolhe, a consultant nephrologist and clinical director for specialist medicine at Royal Derby Hospital.

In an interview yesterday, Dr Kajawo said the week-long visit by the Derby team was part of an initiative by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) to increase the hospital’s capacity to treat patients with kidney related ailments.

 “The visit from the specialists from the Royal Derby Hospital was an educational initiative by ISN to capacitate our renal unit so that we are able to offer more services to our people and the training was also aimed at improving kidney treatment and care,” he said.

Dr Shepherd Kajawo who performed the first renal biopsy at Mpilo

Dr Kajawo said the visiting team trained seven doctors and 15 nurses on peritoneal dialysis which is a modality that allows patients with kidney failure to receive their treatment at home and it is also an alternative form of dialysis, which they hope to be able to provide to suitable patients as a treatment option in future.

The hospital said they received equipment from the training initiative which included equipment for peritoneal dialysis and needles for renal biopsy procedures.

Dr Kajawo said Mpilo will now be offering kidney biopsy procedures for the first time, a service which was previously not offered at Government hospitals.

He described a renal biopsy as a procedure used to extract kidney tissue for laboratory analysis which is then sent to the patient’s doctor to help them identify the type of kidney disease the patient has, how severe it is, and the best treatment for it.

He said the partnership with Royal Derby Hospital was a long-term and ongoing collaboration and Mpilo might send some of their staff to Derby for internship in the future.

“The collaboration with Royal Derby Hospital is long-term and ongoing and at some point, we might send some of our staff for attachment there,” Dr Kajawo said.

The visiting team also consulted with local general practitioners and physicians from both private and public institutions to share their experiences.-@natashaadam1

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