Calcutta, May 12 :    Calcutta, May 12:  Almost a decade after most other states had introduced 'super-specialised' courses in nephrology at their medical colleges to combat the high incidence of kidney ailments, the West Bengal government seems to have woken up to the need of the hour. After finding out that over 200 patients in Calcutta and the districts needed kidney-transplant surgery every year, the state government has decided to introduce a three-year doctorate course in nephrology at SSKM Hospital, the only one in the state with a full-fledged nephrology department. Of the 200 patients requiring kidney transplant, nearly 50 are treated at SSKM, while another 50 go to private units. The rest travel to other states for treatment, according to sources in the health department. SSKM has got the green signal to commence the course from this year. To start with, the course will be offered to only two students, because of its highly specialised nature. The pass-outs will be engaged as heads of a number of new nephrology departments to be introduced in other state-run medical colleges and hospitals. The move to introduce the course was also prompted by an appeal from doctors at SSKM, who said they were unable to cope with the increasing number of patients. 'On an average, more than 150 patients suffering from acute kidney problems, report to our out-patients department (OPD) ward every day. It is not possible for us to provide quality treatment to all of them,' said Dilip Pahari, head of the hospital's nephrology department. To make matters worse, of the 1,200 doctors on the staff of the state health service, only three are nephrologists. Medical Council of India (MCI) rules stipulate that doctors completing the DM (nephrology) course are eligible to handle patients requiring kidney transplant and other related treatments like dialysis.