Kh Salman presents 300millions cheque to KLIT for establishing a kidney & liver transplant in Lahore

Lahore: Under the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for providing kidney & liver transplant facilities to the patients at local level, an institute of kidney & liver transplant of international standard is being established in Lahore and its foundation stone laying ceremony will be held within a month. Government has allotted 50 acre of land for the institution on Badian Road and total estimated cost of the project is about Rs. 12 billion.

It was revealed by the Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique while handing over a cheque for Rs. 300 million on behalf of Chief Minister Punjab to the Chairman Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute Trust Prof. Saeed Akhtar who is also the head of Organs Transplant Department of Al-Shifa International Islamabad at DG Health Office. Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik, Special Secretary Finance Department Ahmed Raza Sarwar, DG Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervaiz and members of PKLI Trust were also present on this occasion. He said that government would provide funds for the construction of the institute according to the requirement.

Kh. Salman Rafique further said that after completion of the institute, Rs. 6 billion would be required annually to run the hospital. He said that Government would provide 25 percent of the total amount while rest of the expenditure would be met by the trust through philanthropy. He said that legislation has already been carried out by the government in the Punjab Assembly.

Chairman PKLI Trust Prof. Saeed Akhtar apprised  media-men that more than one hundred liver transplants have been carried out at Al-Shifa International Islamabad successfully and he is also working in USA as surgeon of liver & kidney transplantation. He said that the kidney & liver institute Lahore will be a center of excellence where transplantation facilities of international standard will be provided and there would be no need to go abroad for such treatment. He disclosed that 100 percent free treatment facilities would be provided to the poor patients of liver and kidney.

Prof. Saeed Akhtar further said the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is already providing billions of rupees for the treatment of poor patients abroad, however, after functioning of the institute in Lahore, all facilities would be available locally and government would save billions of rupees which are presently being spent in the shape of foreign exchange. He said that kidney & liver institute will not only be a hospital but it would be a research center with the facility of training of doctors in this field. He said that international consultants would be hired for the institute and this institute would also generate job opportunities for four to five thousand people.