INTRODUCTION

The department of Pulmonology was established in June 2021 and currently comprises of a single chamber with separate male and female sections. There are 15 beds. 8 male and 7 female. It has 03 offices each one for Professor, Associate professor and Assistant professor. There is an examination room, a separate room for Bronchoscopy, separate room for chest procedures, separate rooms for Medical officers and nursing staff are also available in ward.

Mission: The mission of the department is to provide the highest quality, accessible and cost effective patient care, while contributing to the global effort to elevate all diseases of the chest, especially preventable chest diseases like T.B, Pneumonia, COPD, Pneumoconiosis and Covid-19 through teaching and research.

Facilities: The department is equipped with almost all the essential instruments and equipment’s. Initially we had daily chest OPD, but now accommodate other specialties we have chest OPD on Wednesday and Thursday. Spirometry is available to both OPD and in patients. We provide all therapeutic and diagnostic facilities in our unit to patients with chest problems e.g. spirometry, pleural tap, pleural biopsy, tube thoracotomy, bronchoscopy and pleurodesis. CPAP and BiPAP machines are available for patients. In out patients’ department we have separate office for TB Control Program with dedicated staff and free drugs are available for TB patients. We have also programmatic management for drug resistance TB (PMDT Unit) for Drug Resistance TB Patients

Trainings: The newly established department is not yet recognized by CPSP for both the FCPS and MCPS courses. There are two consultants one associate and one assistant professor of pulmonology. Associate professor has completed all necessary supervisor workshops and already applied for CPCPS/MCPS supervisor ship.

Currently the department has 4 MOs for duties in the ward. The department has separate schedules and time tables for under graduate students. As ward is occupied by Covid Patients so clinical teaching and facilitation is provided to under graduate students both in chest OPD medical ward by consulting pulmonologists.

Research Activities:  Regarding research activities, at least two (02) articles are published each year in the PNC recognized journals by the consultant pulmonologists. This year one (02) article is already published and one (01) is ready for publication. Every attempt is made for quality control at all levels, there is a quality enhancement cell in BKMC. Similarly, there is a quality control cell in hospital too, work on clinical audit is in process and will be completed soon.

Future Plan: In Future our plan is to first recognize the department by PMC and CPSP for both undergraduate and post graduates’ programs. We have also plans for starting state of art diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy and medical thoracoscopy in the unit. We have also plan to establish a sleep study Lab for patients with sleep disordered breathing.