PKLI: what next?

Having been involved with the Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI & RC) project in Lahore since its inception, I feel duty-bound to express my views. I firmly believe that the institution is at a critical juncture – its options being to pursue the course of excellence for which it was originally intended or the course of a typical public sector project. PKLI & RC was formed as a non-profit trust to be governed by an independent board funded by the government of Punjab and was supported by an act of the Punjab Assembly). The initial cost was to be provided by the government for the first three years. Thereafter, government funding was to be reduced to 25 percent with the remaining 75 percent to be raised by the project’s commercial activity, charitable donations and hospital generated income. The objective was to set up a centre of excellence in the public sector, embracing the concept of public-private partnership – providing high-quality healthcare for complex kidney and liver patients including kidney and liver transplant.However, after an extremely impressive start, the project stalled badly following the Honourable Supreme Court’s suo-motu notice. Changes in the political landscape made the centre an arena of political debacle. After a year of intense court inquiries, the institute and its board came out without a blemish, with all corruption charges dismissed and its original board re-instated by the Supreme Court. The expectation was that the current government would embrace this breakthrough project and assist in making it a shining star in Pakistan’s gloomy medical landscape. The government however, has unfortunately taken a different view and has now challenged the institute by bringing in a new parliamentary act which in my opinion may significantly diminish the distinguishing attributes of this centre of excellence. Contrary to my previous visits which always filled me with pride, during my recent visit I observed clear signs of disintegration in the institute. For one, the institute (a project worth more than Rs200 million) currently does not have any chief executive in office resulting in administrative chaos. The Punjab Ministry of Health has to be accountable for the situation. Our dysfunctional healthcare sector continues to fail to recognise the growing epidemic of Hepatitis B & C in Pakistan, let alone take appropriate measures to address a situation which is spiralling out of control; with thousands being sentenced to death by disease on a daily basis. The power houses in our country must realise it is not buildings that serve our people, but those working inside the buildings. Pakistan deserves better.Dr Aasem M ChaudryBedfordUK

from The News International - Newspost https://ift.tt/2RS0yZs