Kidney care services have expanded in north Bengaluru with the launch of a nephro-urology unit at Charaka Super Speciality Hospital on Broadway Road, giving residents access to dialysis closer to home and reducing the need to travel to the nephro-urology institute at Victoria Hospital.
The unit has been established by the nephro-urology institute under an agreement with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institute (ABVMC&RI), which administers Charaka Hospital. Dialysis services have already begun, while other kidney-related medical services are expected to start soon.
The expansion comes as the number of patients seeking treatment for kidney-related conditions has increased, according to the report. Diabetes, high blood pressure and changing lifestyles were identified as among the factors contributing to the rising incidence of kidney problems. The increase in patient numbers had created congestion at the institute located within the Victoria Hospital campus.
Charaka Super Speciality Hospital was built by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in 2020 at a cost of ₹24.38 crore. The hospital also received ₹11 crore in support from the Infosys Foundation for equipment, beds and other facilities. However, the hospital did not begin full operations for several years because doctors and other staff had not been appointed. It was used to treat Covid-19 patients during the first and second waves.
Super-speciality services began at the hospital in September 2024. The new nephro-urology arrangement is intended to address the staffing and equipment requirements for specialised kidney care. Nephro-urology institute director Dr Shivlingaiah M. said the unit had been set up on the hospital’s first floor and that doctors and medical staff would be provided by the institute. Equipment installation and other processes for starting additional services are under way, he said.
The four-storey Charaka hospital has a total capacity of 140 beds. Of these, 40 beds have been allocated to the nephro-urology unit. The unit has 22 beds for dialysis, 12 general beds and two intensive care unit beds. It is currently conducting 26 dialysis procedures a day, according to the report.
The opening of the unit adds specialised kidney treatment capacity in the northern part of the city while making use of an existing public hospital built with municipal funding. The remaining nephro-urology services are scheduled to be introduced after the ongoing equipment installation and related preparations are completed.
