Turkish to train Pakistani Drs “how to liver transplant”

Lahore : Turkish Ministry of Health and government of Punjab will collaborate in human organs transplantation especially liver transplantation, training and capacity building of doctors, nurses in this field as well as transfer of technology. Medical tourism would be promoted between Turkey and Pakistan and Turkish hospitals would provide liver transplantation facility to the Pakistani patients on subsidized rates.

It was announced in a meeting between the Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique, Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir with the delegation of Turkish Ministry of Health at Civil Secretariat, today.

Turkish delegation was headed by Director General International Affairs and European Union Ministry of Health Dr. Oner Gunner and transplant specialist Dr. Murat Ozturk and Dr. Mehmat Ali Aydin included in the delegation.

Besides, Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Punjab Najam Ahmad Shah, Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Ali Jan Khan, Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. Ahmad Javed Qazi, Director General Punjab Human Organs Transplantation Authority(PHOTA) Prof. Masood Sadiq, Chairman Shaikh Zayed Hospital Prof. Farid Ahmad Khan, Dean Children Hospital Prof. Masood Sadiq, Professor of Cardiology Allama Iqbal Medical College Dr. Zubair, Prof. Dr. Shahid Ameen from PIC, Prof. Dr. Tariq Bangish, Prof. Dr. Razia from Federal Health Department, Special Secretary Primary & Secondary Health Dr. Faisal Zahoor, Deputy Secretary Yedullah and Dr. Zahid Pervaiz were also present in the meeting.

Dr. Oner Gunner informed that Turkish hospitals are successfully carrying out transplantation operations of liver, lungs, intestine, kidney and heart. He informed that at present 38 transplantation centers are providing these services in Turkey.

He offered that Turkish Ministry of Health would provide liver transplantation services to the patients of brother country Pakistan on very subsidized rates as compared to international market.

Kh Salman Rafiq said that state-of-the-art mega project for liver and kidney transplantation in the name of Pakistan Kidney, Liver Transplantation and Research Institute is being established in Lahore at a cost of Rs.20 billion and the first phase of the project would be completed by December this year.

He said that PKLI is a flagship project of Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. He said that after completion of PKLI, liver and kidney transplantation facility would be started in the first month of new year.

Kh Salman Rafiq revealed that Chief Minister provides grants of billions of rupees for liver transplantation of poor and deserving patients in different countries. He said that by provision of this facility in Turkey the waiting list of liver patients would be reduced. The Turkish delegation informed that every year, on average 12 thousand transplantation surgeries are being conducted in Turkey.

Dr Oner disclosed that last year 88 heart transplantation surgeries were also conducted successfully.

Secretary Specialized Health Najam Ahmad Shah stressed the need of evolving a system for collaboration between Turkish Ministry of Health and Punjab government for this purpose. He proposed that a technical committee also be constituted.

On this proposal, the Minister Kh. Salman Rafiq constituted technical committee comprising on Director General PHOTA Prof. Dr. Faisal Masood and Turkish consultant Dr. Murat Ozturk which would finalize the matters to promote collaboration in this field and more sub-committees would also be constituted to prepare feasibility for cooperation between Turkish Ministry of Health and Punjab government.