Sindh journalists visit PKLI

LAHORE: A delegation of Sindh journalists visited Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI&RC) on Tuesday.

The journalists are the guests of Punjab government. They were taken a ride in golf carts to see the different under-construction sites of the institute in an area of 60-acre. PKLI aims to become a centre of excellence in healthcare to provide state-of-the-art clinical services initially in Urology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hepatobiliary Surgery, Kidney Transplant, and Liver Transplant and in other specialised medical fields in the future.

“Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took keen interest in the completion of the state of the art institute and paid several visits to monitor the construction work regularly,” said Dr Hafiz Ijaz Ahmed, Chairman Nephrology & Director Medical Education while welcoming the delegation, according to a handout.

Briefing the guests, he said the day of August 14, 2015 saw the historic of the foundation stone of PKLI&RC by the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. This mega hospital is planned to be launched in phases. The first phase of the hospital was launched on 25th December, 2017 by the CM which has started serving the ailing humanity. On completion, PKLI will be a facility of 800 beds with a 100-bed emergency centre, a 100-bed ICU, a 100-bed outpatient dialysis facility, a 500-bed in-patient facility, 20 operating rooms and 10 same-day surgery suites, he said and added PKLI&RC is the only hospital in Pakistan that is designed on JCI standards (International Standards for Healthcare).

Dr Hafiz Ijaz Ahmed said the Punjab government on the instruction of CM provided 60-acre land for the project and billions of rupees for its construction. The pool of 70 foreign trained and experienced consultants at the hospital is evidently unmatched in the health sector of Pakistan.

PKLI will use a cross subsidy model of financial sustainability and up to 75pc of the patients will be provided subsidised services while others will be paying patients. Patients will be screened for financial assistance and will be offered 100pc to 0pc subsidy based on their financial status. For first three years the govt will support 100pc and after three years the government will give 25pc recurrent annual grant or whatever is needed to stay afloat. PKLI will start various fund generating activities including fundraising campaigns, creation of the endowment fund and various business activities to generate funds, he said.

  The institute is promoting research culture to gather national and international scientists and clinicians on one platform for innovative research. The hospital complex will also include a university to build future indigenous human resource providing world class education and research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Dr Hafiz Ijaz said.