ISLAMABAD, April 24: Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar Khan said the Workers Fund (WWF) had established a modern kidney centre in Lahore that would help the low income groups in getting standard health facilities.

He was speaking at the signing ceremony of an MoU between the Workers Welfare Fund and the Sheikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, held here on Monday.

Under the MoU, the newly set up kidney centre had been handed over to the Sheikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute (SZPMI) for its regular operation.

The minister said Rs405.91 million had been spent on the infrastructure of the kidney centre spreading over 26 Kanals. The 250-bed centre has five operation theatres.

The minister said Rs300 million had been incurred on purchase of equipment, whereas Rs100 million had been provided to the SZPMI management to meet the recurring expenses for the first year of operation.

The kidney centre would provide free treatment to the registered industrial workers.

The minister said kidney centres were also being set up in the other three provinces. Buildings for the centres in three provincial capitals have been completed.

Similarly, the WWF has placed the funds at the disposal of provincial governments to purchase medical equipment. The Workers Welfare Fund would also provide funds to meet the recurring operational expenditures of these centres for two years.

Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Naseer Khan applauded the contribution and support of the labour ministry and said this kidney centre would provide quality health facilities to the low income groups.