LAHORE: Pakistani patients will get liver transplant facility in Turkish hospitals at subsidised rates as part of the collaboration between Turkey’s Ministry of Health and the Punjab government will have in human organs transplantation.

Promotion of medical tourism, training and capacity building of Pakistani doctors and nurses in organs’ transplant, especially of liver, as well as transfer of technology in the field will also be part of the collaboration.

It was announced during a meeting of Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khwaja Salman Rafique and Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khwaja Imran Nazir with a delegation of Turkey Ministry of Health at Civil Secretariat here on Thursday.

Director-General of International Affairs and European Union of Turkey’s Ministry of Health, Dr Oner Gunner, who led the delegation, informed the Punjab health ministers and other senior officers that Turkish hospitals had successfully been performing transplant of liver, lungs, intestine, kidney and heart.

“At present 38 transplantation centres are providing these services in Turkey. Last year, 88 heart transplant surgeries were also conducted successfully,” he said while offering liver transplantation services to Pakistani patients at very subsidised rates, compared to international market.

Turkey’s transplant specialist Dr Murat Ozturk and Dr Mehmat Ali Aydin said that every year, 12,000 transplant procedures were being performed in Turkey.

Khwaja Salman Rafiq said the first phase of state-of-the-art Pakistan Kidney, Liver Transplantation and Research Institute in Lahore would be completed by December this year at a cost of Rs20 billion. After completion of PKLI, liver and kidney transplantation facility would be started in the first month of next year.

He said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had been providing grants of billions of rupees for liver transplant of poor and deserving patients in different countries. With the provision of this facility in Turkey the waiting list of patients requiring liver transplant would be reduced.

SEALED: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) expedited its anti-quackery campaign on Thursday by sealing 31 places being run by unqualified people as healthcare facilities in 12 localities of the city.

Legal proceedings were also initiated against the owners of these dental clinics, diagnostic laboratories, medical stores and allopathic clinics, said a spokesperson.

During raids conducted by the PHC team, these centres were found to be unqualified to render any kind of medical services.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2017