By Roy Zia Ur Rahman ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP):For a 33-year-old handmade shoemaker struggling to earn bread for his children while battling kidney disease, a new chance at life came from the person closest to him — his 26-year-old wife, who happily donated one of her kidneys to her life partner, helping Alkhidmat Raazi Hospital Rawalpindi achieve a historic milestone with its first successful kidney transplant. The complex procedure was …
From one OPD to first Kidney Transplant: Razi Hospital marks New milestone with Wife’s ‘Gift of Life’
By Roy Zia Ur Rahman
ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP):For a 33-year-old handmade shoemaker struggling to earn bread for his children while battling kidney disease, a new chance at life came from the person closest to him — his 26-year-old wife, who happily donated one of her kidneys to her life partner, helping Alkhidmat Raazi Hospital Rawalpindi achieve a historic milestone with its first successful kidney transplant.
The complex procedure was successfully performed by the hospital’s kidney transplant team, led by Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician Dr Zahid Nabi and Transplant Surgeon Dr Muhammad Nawaz. Both the recipient and his wife, the living donor, are recovering well.
For the young couple, the transplant has brought hope after a difficult period. The patient earns his livelihood by making handmade shoes, but kidney disease had badly affected his ability to work, making it increasingly difficult to provide for his children and meet daily household expenses.
At a time when illness was threatening both his health and livelihood, his 26-year-old wife stepped forward and willingly donated a kidney to her husband.
Hospital officials praised her decision as an inspiring example of love, sacrifice and companionship, saying her gesture had not only given her husband a chance at a healthier life but also offered a powerful example of standing beside a life partner in difficult times.
The operation also marks a new chapter in the journey of Alkhidmat Raazi Hospital, which began in 2006 with a small outpatient department and has since grown into a 250-bed not-for-profit healthcare facility serving Rawalpindi, Islamabad and surrounding areas. The hospital is part of Alkhidmat Foundation’s healthcare network.
Chairman of the hospital’s management, Abu Umair Zahid, told APP that the achievement belonged to the doctors, staff, board members and donors who had supported the institution over the years.
A retired chief engineer of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Zahid has been voluntarily leading the hospital for around 10 years. When he took over the responsibility, the hospital had 37 beds; today its capacity has reached 250 beds, while further expansion is continuing.
Our donors and board members want to seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty through service to humanity,” Zahid said. “People trust us and they trust this institution. Today is a historic day for all of us.
He said the first successful kidney transplant was the result of a collective effort rather than the achievement of any one individual.
The sun of this success has risen because of our doctors, staff, board members and all those generous people who have supported us, he added.
The hospital’s growth has also brought new medical services. Cancer-related facilities, including treatment for breast cancer, have recently been introduced, while work is continuing on further expansion, including new operation theatres, a diabetic foot clinic, breast surgery services and additional wards.
The hospital’s official information says Raazi provides healthcare on a not-for-profit, cost-based model, with charitable support used to help patients who cannot afford treatment. Its Zakat funds are restricted to eligible deserving patients for their treatment.
Medical Superintendent Dr Usman Zafar and Zahid congratulated the transplant surgeons, doctors, nurses and other staff on completing the hospital’s first kidney transplant.
Zahid said growing public trust had increased the hospital’s responsibilities and made further expansion necessary so that more people, particularly those from low- and middle-income families, could have access to quality treatment.
He also paid tribute to the young kidney donor, describing her decision to give a part of herself to ease her husband’s suffering as an example worth appreciating.
For the 33-year-old shoemaker and his family, however, the medical milestone has a deeply personal meaning. Illness had made earning bread for his children increasingly difficult; now the successful transplant offers him hope of returning to his craft and supporting his family again.
Nearly two decades after Alkhidmat Raazi Hospital began with a small OPD, its first successful kidney transplant has brought two journeys of hope together — a hospital’s growth from humble beginnings into a 250-bed healthcare institution, and a young wife’s extraordinary gift of life to the husband with whom she hopes to continue the journey ahead.
