Shehbaz lays foundation stone of Kidney and Liver Institute University in Lahore
LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of the Kidney and Liver Institute University at the Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute (PKLI) in Lahore on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister recalled that the PKLI started its journey in 2015 and was completed in 2018. He said that Prof Dr Saeed Akhtar worked day and night for the PKLI, and under his leadership, liver transplantation was started in the country. He said that the PKLI is a ray of hope for patients, where treatment is provided without discriminating between the rich and the poor.
The prime minister said that the PKLI was built as per international standards on modern lines, and the best hospital came into being through the partnership of foreign companies.
He said that more than 1,000 kidney and liver transplants have been done so far at the PKLI, where patients are treated without any discrimination.
He said that when he was the chief minister of Punjab, filter clinics for hepatitis diagnosis were established under the PKLI, but unfortunately, these clinics were closed down by the previous government.
The same filter clinics have now been restored under the PKLI, and the scope of the filter clinics will be spread across the country.
He said that the PKLI’s biggest challenge was the funds for free treatment of the poor, and unfortunately, the past government neglected this front. However, a sum of Rs15 billion had been collected in the PKLI Trust Fund.
He hoped that philanthropists would also provide funds and medicines to the institution.
The prime minister said that the doctors and staff of the PKLI are providing excellent services.
He said that the objective behind setting up the PKLI was not only to build a hospital but also a modern medical university. He said that the Punjab government is providing funds for PKLI University.
He said that an awareness campaign is very important for the eradication of hepatitis C, and the federal government would provide funds to the provinces for its prevention.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2023