Hospital Introduction

Profile

Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, (AKUH,K) started operations in 1985, as an integrated, health care delivery component of Aga Khan University (AKU). It is a philanthropic, not-for-profit, private teaching institution committed to providing the best possible options for diagnosis of disease and team management of patient care. AKUH's multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and care ensures a continuum of safe and high-quality care for patients – all services under one roof.

This University Hospital has 545 beds in operation and provides services to over 42,000 hospitalised patients and to over 500,000 outpatients annually with the help of professional staff and facilities that are among the best in the region. Care is available to all patients in need. Those who are unable to pay for treatment, receive assistance through a variety of subsidies and the Hospital's Patient Welfare Programme.

AKUH is the first hospital in Pakistan and among the first few teaching hospitals in the world to be awarded the prestigious Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) for practicing the highest internationally recognised quality standards in health care. Similarly, the Hospital also holds ISO 9001:2000 certification for practicing consistent international standards of quality services.

Facilities

The Hospital is equipped to diagnose and treat Medical (including Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Nephrology, Neurology and Pulmonology), Surgical (Dental, General, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Otolaryngology, Urology and Plastic), Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Psychiatry patients, and its inpatients have an average length of stay of 3.56 days. The Hospital also provides comprehensive Oncology Services including: Medical and Surgical Management, Radiation Therapy, Chemotherapy, Brachytherapy and Bone Marrow Transplant.

A total of 545 beds, 119 private and 117 semi-private air-conditioned rooms, 251 general ward beds and 54 critical care beds are available in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Coronary Care Unit (CCU), Coronary Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The Hospital has 11 main operating theaters. There are an additional five operating theaters in Surgical Day Care, two in the Community Health Centre, one in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and two mini-theatres in Section of Emergency.

State-of-the-art Pharmacy, Radiology (including nuclear medicine), Laboratory, Cardiopulmonary, Neurophysiology and Rehabilitation services are available at AKUH. A fully equipped Emergency Room is open 24 hours a day with a Triage desk and Fast Track System to ensure prompt medical attention for all patients.

AKUH Laboratory operates over 160 phlebotomy or specimen collection centres in Karachi and all major cities of Pakistan. The Hospital also operates nine off-site medical centres (Integrated Medical Service Units) in various parts of Karachi. Home Physiotherapy and Home Nursing and Health Care Services are also available in almost all areas of the city. These off-site services are a part of AKUH's outreach programme to facilitate public accessibility to quality health care.

The Hospital draws a large number of referrals from outside Karachi and Pakistan and operates Patient Information and Referral Desks in Hyderabad and Quetta and a Representative Office in Dubai, U.A.E. These offices provide assistance by coordinating all necessary arrangements, including review of medical history by consultants prior to the patient's arrival at the Hospital.