The Institute of Nephro-Urology (INU) will take over the 40-bed renal care unit at Shivajinagar Charaka Super Speciality Hospital, with its 23 dialysis machines set to operate round the clock in three shifts, including on Sundays.A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday for the INU to establish a 40-bed unit at the hospital. The hospital will also house a 100-bed cardiac unit of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research.Dialysis services to expandM. Shivalingaiah, Director of the INU, told The Hindu that the Charaka Dialysis Centre, which began functioning on April 13, 2026, initially operated in a single shift. It has conducted 2,210 dialysis sessions up to August 28, with the number of sessions rising from 239 in April to 460 in May, 483 in June and 570 in July. A further 458 sessions were conducted between August 1 and 28..A substantial proportion of the beneficiaries are from economically weaker and middle-class sections. With the formal handover of the 40-bed unit to the INU, the centre will now operate in three shifts, 24x7.“Initially, the centre was functioning only in one shift. With the 40 beds now formally allotted to us, we have installed 23 dialysis machines and are operating the facility in three shifts, 24x7, including Sundays. This will allow many more patients to access regular dialysis,” Dr. Shivalingaiah said.Doctors and other staff from the INU have already been posted at the centre to make the facility fully functional. “We aim to ensure that every patient who requires dialysis receives safe, timely, affordable and quality treatment,” he said.The expansion is expected to benefit patients from Shivajinagar, North Bengaluru and surrounding areas who require long-term renal replacement therapy and specialist services. The INU currently has 156 active beds, including 10 additional beds, while an 80-bed annex building is expected to become fully functional shortly.Growing demand for renal careThe expansion at Charaka comes amid a growing demand for affordable dialysis services in Bengaluru. The Kranthi Veera Sangolli Rayanna Dialysis Centre in Govindrajnagar, which began functioning in September 2021, has so far treated 1,38,967 patients, while the Herohalli Dialysis Centre, started in January 2024, has treated 22,344 patients.The INU recorded 1,06,101 outpatients and 6,345 inpatients in 2025. From January to July 2026, it recorded 65,868 outpatients and 3,858 inpatients, with an average daily footfall of about 315 outpatients and 20 inpatients.100-bed cardiac unitThe hospital, functioning under the aegis of the Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institute, will also get a 100-bed Jayadeva unit under the new arrangement.The hospital has 140 beds and a built-up area of about 70,000 sq. ft. The 100-bed Jayadeva unit will be accommodated on the ground, second and third floors, while the first floor will house nephrology, dialysis and related services.The hospital began super speciality services in September 2024. The proposed cardiac unit is intended to strengthen access to specialised cardiac care and address the shortage of specialist doctors and supporting staff at the hospital. The Jayadeva component is expected to become operational after the required infrastructure and equipment are put in place.Medical equipment, machinery, sanctioned posts and technical staff available at the hospital are proposed to be transferred to the respective institutions. The institutions are expected to manage and operate the facilities under a 29-year arrangement.Urology, plastic surgery and neurosurgery services will continue to be provided at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, doctors said.