National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs would write separate letters to Punjab Health Ministry for revival of Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI&RC) which was made dysfunctional on the interference of then chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar. The committee met with MNA Mujahid Ali in the chair at the Parliament House on Friday. The committee discussed issues related to Prime Minister's Public Affairs & Grievances Wing.
Rana Mubashir Iqbal told the committee that PKLI was established in Lahore, which consists of 800 beds for liver and kindly transplantation with 12 operation theaters but it cold not continue its service and became a victim of politics. He said liver transplant in the hospital was possible with an amount of Rs 800,000 to Rs 1 million.
Another committee member Ch Mehmood Bashir Virk said, "The PKLI did not become a victim of politics but it became dysfunctional on the suo motu of former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar. The former chief justice had said my brother-in-law is a doctor and he gets Rs 150,000 salary while American doctors in PKLI hospital take Rs 1 million."
Virk alleged, "A brother of former chief justice Saqib Nisar, who is a doctor, had been taking commission from Indian hospitals for sending Pakistani patients there for liver and kindly transplantations. Nisar's brother did not want the PKLI to operate successfully."
After discussion, the committee and the ministry decide to write letters separately to Punjab Health Ministry to revive the PKLI. The committee also decided to visit the hospital and take briefing from the staff. Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI&RC) has conducted its very first successful liver transplant at the state-of-the-art public health facility, located in a suburban area of capital city of Punjab.
The minister of state for parliamentary affairs suggested the committee to fix date to convene meeting in the PKLI and visiting therein to examine its infrastructure, equipment, treatment method and paramedical staff of the hospital. The committee suggested the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to convene a meeting and visit the PKLI in near future.
Joint Secretary of Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs, Muhammad Ashfaq Ghumman told the committee that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal is spending Rs 4,200,000 on a poor patient for liver transplantation.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad told the committee that Prime Minister Complaint Cell receives complaints throughout the country. He said the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs moved a summary to the prime minster for one window operation to provide funds for serious diseases of poor patients. He said, "For this purpose, we are transferring powers to approve and verify the applications related to health to the Ministry of Health, Bait-ul-Mal and Ehsaas Programme while Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs would deal the applications about other issues.
The minister said the fatal diseases will be dealt by the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal and health department, while other complaints will be dealt by the Grievances Wing. The committee members gave suggestion for providing relief to the patients of kidney, heart and liver transplantation.
The minister for parliamentary affairs informed the committee members about his visits to the divisional headquarters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan to resolve the public grievances. He told that he had held open courts in various cities of the country, addressed many public grievances and resolved many issues. He also added that Prime Minister's Public Affairs & Grievances Wing is empathetically responding to the grievances of general public addressed to the Prime Minister.
The joint secretary parliamentary affairs assured the committee, on a query raised by a member, to provide audit report to the committee on the province-wise resolved cases of liver transplantation, bone marrow patients and the amount spent on patients of liver transplantation and bone marrow cases. The committee confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting which was held on 19th April.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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