When SSWAB Trust Kidney Care relocated from its long-established base in FB Area (Karim Abad) to Gulistan-e-Johar in mid-2021, it was, in many ways, starting over. The new premises were unfamiliar to the established team; distances felt far. Senior doctors who had built their routines around the old site found the transition difficult and stepped away.
That is when I joined — walking into a facility with very few OPD patients and a dialysis unit just finding its footing. What looked like a quiet beginning turned out to be one of the most formative chapters of my clinical career.
Within months, the OPD swelled. Dialysis demand grew until a second shift had to be introduced. Patients began arriving early and waiting hours to be seen — not because there was no alternative, but because they felt cared for. All services — consultations, dialysis, laboratory investigations, ultrasound — remained completely free of charge for every registered patient.
Working closely with Dr. Waqar Kazmi — one of Pakistan's most respected and sought-after nephrologists — was a privilege I do not take lightly. He is not merely a senior colleague; he became a mentor whose clinical thinking, patient philosophy, and professional conduct left a permanent mark on how I practice medicine.
"The best clinical education is not found in textbooks — it is found standing beside someone who has seen everything, and choosing to pay attention."
I had the honour of reviewing and preparing all of his OPD patients before each session — taking a thorough history, examining findings, forming a differential, and documenting my thinking before presenting to him. Over hundreds of such encounters, I absorbed not just nephrology, but the art of clinical reasoning at the highest level.
When Dr. Kazmi was away — whether for a day or longer — the responsibility of continuity fell to me. I managed his patients independently, adjusted treatments, escalated when needed, and ensured that his patients never felt his absence. That trust was earned gradually, and it shaped my confidence in ways no course ever could.
Beyond nephrology, Dr. Kazmi's wide network meant that patients would arrive with concerns ranging far outside kidney disease — cardiac, hepatic, neurological, respiratory. Drawing on my ICU background and diverse clinical experience, I was able to counsel, triage, and navigate these complex cases gracefully, ensuring that neither the patient's concern nor the doctor's time was mismanaged.
Dr. Kazmi was a dedicated champion of KEEP — the Kidney Early Evaluation Program — a National Kidney Foundation initiative designed to detect CKD at its earliest, most treatable stages by screening high-risk individuals: those with diabetes, hypertension, or a family history of kidney disease. Inspired by his commitment to this philosophy, I ran a dedicated OPD for exactly these patients — CKD, diabetic nephropathy, hypertension-related kidney damage, and dialysis admissions — turning early detection into a structured, systematic part of our daily practice. The preventive thinking I internalised through KEEP now shapes how I approach every patient I see in the community.
These are not theoretical competencies. Each one was forged in real clinical encounters — often under pressure, often with patients who had no other safety net.
The physician I am today — in every health camp, every field consultation, every difficult case in the community — reflects four years of learning at SSWAB. I am grateful to Dr. Waqar Kazmi for the mentorship, to the institution for the trust, and to every patient who allowed me to serve them.
In April 2025, I transitioned to the Karwan-e-Hayat Mental Health Community Outreach Program — bringing the full weight of four years of specialist-level clinical experience to Karachi's most underserved communities. That story continues.