LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday chaired a meeting to review the affairs of the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) in Lahore.
He was briefed about the administrative affairs of the institute. He was told that last year, the institute performed 290 kidney and 190 liver transplants.
Only 17 percent of patients among them could get benefit from the free treatment facility of the institute, he was informed.
Apart from this, the prime minister was apprised of the progress on the hospital’s nursing university project.
Sharif lamented over authorities’ negligence in the completion of the project. He expressed dissatisfaction over the facilities being provided to the patients at the institute.
He directed the hospital to provide international standard facilities to its patients, besides asking the authorities to provide free treatment facility to at least 50 percent of its poor patients.
He said the purpose of the PKLI was to provide free transplant facilities to the poor segment of society.
Sharif ordered the Punjab chief secretary to prepare a strategy regarding making the PKLI financially autonomous and present a report in this regard after three days.
He also directed to make the PKLI a trust. He ordered for swift completion of the nursing university project. He suggested outsourcing the hygiene system of the institute in order to maintain high standards of cleanliness.
The meeting was attended by Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, chief secretary, Punjab health secretary, concerned authorities and PKLI officials.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to establish a trust to run the institute. All expenditures of the institute would be borne through trust.
The provincial health department has given a briefing to Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz in this regard.
The CM was told that a four-star hotel or a modern commercial market would be made on Bedian Road near the institute. The income generated by the hotel or commercial market would be given to the PKLI to run its affairs pertaining to its administrative and treatment facilities at the institute.
Besides trust income, the Punjab government would also provide funds to the institute.
After establishing a trust, the government could save on the budget being allocated for the transplant centre.
