Healthy lifestyle key to avoiding kidney, liver diseases: minister

LAHORE: Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA) organised the first International Pakistani Association of Transplantation Conference 2024 at Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS) here on Friday.

Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique was the chief guest on this occasion. He said that people in Pakistan are suffering from kidney and liver diseases very fast. We have to adopt a healthy lifestyle to live a healthy life.

The minister said that increasing the efficiency of PHOTA was the urgent need of the hour and research will be promoted in the medical universities of Punjab. He said kidney and liver transplantation started in PMLN government. Before Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI), the patients had to go abroad from Pakistan for transplant, he added.

Prof. Dr. Shahzad Anwar said that 750 kidney and 280 liver transplants have been done in 2023. Prof. Dr. Faisal Saud Dar said that in Pakistan we have to reduce the burden of kidney and liver diseases. Prof. Dr. Zafar Al Farid said that there should be a registry for registration of human organ donation in Pakistan.

Minister meets delegation of British varsities

Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique met a delegation of leading British universities at King Edward Medical University (KEMU) here on Friday.

The delegation was headed by Sir Steve Smith. In this meeting, Vice Chancellor KEMU Prof. Dr. Mehmood Ayaz and representatives of British High Commission Pakistan, Higher Education Commission were also present. A meeting was also held with the faculty members and students of the university. The delegation included Prof.

Wendy Alexander, Peter Clock, Yasmin Peter, Madeline Ansell, Charis Babier, Rebecca Landsey and others. Matters of mutual interest were discussed between the health minister and the British delegation.