Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute’s foundation stone is laid

Lahore:Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, on the happy occasion of Independence Day, laid the foundation stone of great project of Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute and Research Centre.

Addressing the ceremony, Shahbaz Sharif said that the project will cost billions of rupees and hundred percent free treatment will be provided to poor and deserving patients.

A sum of 3.5 billion rupees have been allocated for this project during the current fiscal year but Punjab government through negotiations with the lowest bidders of various projects has saved billions of rupees of the nation and its credit goes to Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and the whole team of Punjab government and there is no other example of saving of billions of rupees in Pakistan’s history. If this project is seen in the light of saving billions of rupees by Punjab government in development projects we can say that Punjab government and people are getting  this project free of cost and I can say that resources of billions of rupees saved by Punjab government through negotiations with the lowest bidders for development projects are being spent on the masses. These projects include Solid Waste Management, Laptop distribution programme, Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur, distribution of thousands of vehicles under self-employment scheme and other projects and this is the saving in the real sense.

He said that the destiny of the nation and country will be changed by moving on this way. He said that Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute will be a masterpiece with regard to medical science, clinical research and provision of medical facilities. He said that the institution will be a state-of-the-art and will be of the standard of the best institutions of the world. He said that this institution will also be run on the pattern of Tayyip Erdogan Trust Hospital Muzaffargarh and Punjab government will only regulate it.

Shahbaz Sharif said that laying the foundation stone of this project on Independence Day is an important step towards achievement of the real objectives of independence and the foundation of creation of country was laid 68 years ago for such projects. He said that our forefathers had obtained a separate country so that economic and social justice besides education and health facilities as well as equal opportunities of progress would be available to the common man and this project is step in this direction.

The Chief Minister further said that setting up of separate country is the result of supreme sacrifices of our forefathers and in the historic meeting of 23^rdMarch 1940 there was no Sindhi or Punjabi or Pathan or Balochi but are all Pakistanis were united under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by rising above differences of color, cast and creed and therefore in the form of creation of Pakistan on 14^th August 1947 a miracle took place and Muslims of the subcontinent got a separate country however the objectives for which Pakistan was achieved are still far away.

The Chief Minister said that Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute and other projects are a beginning of the journey towards the real objectives of the creation of Pakistan and the scope of such projects will be expended. He said that elite and big investors can get expensive treatment in Pakistan or in foreign countries but unfortunately crores of people cannot afford treatment despite suffering from fatal diseases. He said that provision of best treatment facilities is among our priorities and during my tenure Punjab government has spent crores of rupees on the treatment of a large number of kidney patients during last seven years. He said that these people cannot afford their treatment.

He said that we will have to change this system and I believe that projects like Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute are an important step towards changing this system and Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute is not only for Punjab but for the whole country. He said that every patient will be provided treatment here as Pakistan consists of Punjab, Balochistan, KPK, Sindh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab government has included other provinces as well as people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan in all its programmes due to which national unity has been promoted. He said that the portion of the institute having 200 beds will become functional in 2017 and best treatment facilities will be available to kidney and liver patients in this institute. He said that the project will formally start functioning on August 14, 2017. He said that inauguration of this great project on 14 August is an important step towards Independence Day celebrations.

The Chief Minister further said that it is unfortunate that institutions have not been allowed to strengthen in Pakistan and due to mistakes of politicians and four martial laws the institutions and system have been undermined. He believes that accountability and performance audit is essential for the provision of best services to the people in these institutions.

President Board of Governors of Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute Dr. Saeed Akhtar, Advisor on Health Kh. Salman Rafique, Secretary Health and Member Board of Governors Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal also addressed the function.