CJP dismayed at lack of facilities in PKLI

Wishes first pediatric liver transplant surgery of Pakistan conducted before 2019

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday expressed his dismay when he was informed that the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI), a project of the previous government, had no basic facilities to carry out a pediatric liver transplant.

A two-member Supreme Court bench, led by the CJP Nisar, was hearing at the Lahore Registry a case regarding the possibility of the first pediatric liver transplant at the PKLI.

Prof Dr Huma Arshad Cheema of the Children Hospital informed the court that the institute did not have prerequisite facilities like operation theatre, human resource, and equipment for the liver transplant.

CJP Nisar observed that billions of rupees had been spent on the institute and now it had been revealed that it had no facilities. Justice Ijazul Ahsan, the other member of the bench, said the institute should have been a state of the art project but it appeared like a godown.

The judges lamented that no effort had been made for the children of the country suffering from liver diseases. They said the children were forced to go to India for a liver transplant after undergoing a distressing process for getting the visa for the neighbouring country.

The CJP also grilled PKLI President Dr Saeed Akhtar for poor performance of the institute.

Prof Cheema, who is also chairperson of the Pakistan Pediatric Association, told the bench that the staff of Dr Akhtar had told her – when she went to see him – that he was not interested in meeting doctors living in Pakistan.

The CJP observed that it was a wish of the Supreme Court to have the first ever pediatric liver transplant surgery of Pakistan conducted before the last week of December.

Prof Cheema said no civilian health facility was capable to do a pediatric liver transplant. However, a hospital in Rawalpindi run by the military has been carrying out such surgeries. The CJP said the court would contact the Surgeon General of Pakistan Army and adjourned the hearing till Sunday (today).

He also directed the National Accountability Bureau to hold an inquiry against an administration officer of the PKLI, Dr Amir and ordered the authorities concerned to put his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).