The Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant, recently rebranded as the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI), has started offering outpatient services, dialysis, ultrasound, CT scans, and an Acute Medical Unit (AMU) under three financial models.
According to sources, patients can either pay full charges, avail a 30 per cent subsidy, or receive free treatment through Zakat funding.
The institute plans to begin kidney and liver transplant procedures in September 2025. Until then, transplant patients are being referred to PKLI Lahore.
The project was first launched in 2012 as the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant, initiated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his tenure as Punjab's chief minister.
However, construction faced delays for years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility was repurposed as a treatment centre for infected patients.
Later, it resumed operations as a specialised kidney and urology centre, offering free dialysis, OPD services, emergency care, and essential diagnostic tests.
On April 14, 2023, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif officially rebranded the hospital as the Institute of Urology and Transplantation Rawalpindi.
In September 2024, it was further upgraded to PKLI Rawalpindi, modelled after the Lahore facility.
Patients visiting the OPD are charged a registration fee of Rs600, a consultation fee of Rs2,800, an ultrasound at Rs3,500, a plain CT scan at Rs9,000, a contrast CT scan at Rs15,000, and dialysis per session at Rs7,400.
Lithotripsy, a non-invasive procedure for kidney stone removal, has not yet been introduced.
To ensure accessibility, PKLI Rawalpindi offers three financial models.
Patients who can afford treatment pay full charges, while those eligible for financial assistance can apply for a 30pc subsidy or full coverage through Zakat funding after an interview process.
Project Director Dr Zulfiqar Ali Khan stated that while the facility has five fully functional operation theatres and an MRI machine, transplants are yet to begin.
Since last September, all transplant cases have been referred to PKLI Lahore.
Meanwhile, Benazir Bhutto General Hospital's Urology Department is also providing free kidney treatments, including dialysis, surgeries, and lithotripsy.
Two of its operation theatres are functional, while two more are nearing completion.
So far, six successful kidney transplants have been conducted, with four to five more cases under process pending approval from the Punjab Human Organ Authority.
According to Dr Zain Al-Aamer, head of the department, all kidney-related treatments at the facility are free of cost.
With four operational theatres, he said an end to long waiting times for surgeries and a significant increase in the number of transplants and other urological procedures.
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