Partial resumption of operations likely by March

Groundbreaking of project was performed by ex-CM Shehbaz Sharif in 2012

RAWALPINDI: There seems to a high hopes of partially resuming operations at the of Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant at Shamsabad Murree Road by march of 2019. The groundbreaking of the project was performed by the former chief minister Punjab  Mian Shehbaz Sharif in 2012.

The project cost has skyrocketed which was initially worth Rs.4 billion.

The Rawalpindi division lacks any institution of the kind. It has been reported that many patients facing kidney related diseases succumb to death due to the scarcity of resources to afford private hospitals.

The funds for this 250 bed project were not released despite the fact that its foundation was laid in 2012. The deployment of relevant machinery and other human resources have not been accomplished till date.

More than a dozen dates have already previously been announced to make hospital functional.

The Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Jodat Ayaz was assured that the hospital building had completed ninety per cent completion and that the OPD, emergency and dialysis centre would start functioning if the funds are provided on time by the government to which the commissioner assured that funds would be available for the completion of the project.

Ayaz also directed the concerned officers to take essential steps for its finalisation and cautioned of action in case of any misconduct is reported.



Medical Superintendant of the hospital Dr Nasir Mehmood said that they need immediate release of funds of Rs250 million, apart from the contractor fee, to make emergency, OPD and dialysis unit functional.

He lamented that the process to appoint doctors and other related staff is on hold despite of the pending applications due to which kidney transplant cannot be made operational. The MS of the hospital asserted about the increasing number of kidney patients and the rise in deaths due to unaffordability. He hoped to make kidney transplant operational by March this year and said that kidney related diseases pose a threat to human life if they are not properly treated at initial stages.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2019.