Advisor orders speedy work on kidney transplant centre

PESHAWAR:

Advisor to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister on Health, Ehtesham Ali, has directed expedited work on the establishment of a kidney transplant center at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH). The provincial government has already approved Rs500 million for the project, which is a top priority.

Initially, the center will focus on kidney transplants, with plans to expand services to include bone marrow and liver transplants in the future. Ali emphasized that patients from K-P currently travel to other cities for transplants, incurring significant financial burdens. However, once operational, the facility will offer free transplants under the Sehat Card program, providing immense relief to the people of the province.

During a surprise visit to KTH, Ali inspected several departments, accompanied by Director General Health Services Dr. Muhammad Saleem, Additional Director General Public Health Dr. Shahid Younas, and Chief Executive of Sehat Card, Dr. Riaz Tanoli.

At the Sehat Card Pharmacy, he reviewed the medicine distribution process and personally inspected the pharmacy store, ensuring the availability of high-quality, multinational-brand medicines. He praised the hospital administration for maintaining a high standard of healthcare services and medicine supply.

Ali also received a briefing on Total Lab Automation, a cutting-edge step toward modernizing diagnostic services at KTH. He recommended setting up collection points in other districts to extend these state-of-the-art services across the province.

At the Cath Lab, the health advisor instructed Sehat Card authorities to activate cardiac treatment facilities under the Sehat Card scheme as soon as possible, ensuring top-tier cardiac care for patients.

During his visit to the Pakhtunkhwa Transplant Center, Ali was briefed by KTH Director Dr. Muhammad Zafar Afridi on the project's progress. It was revealed that the Board of Governors (BoG) had discussed the transplant center's establishment in a meeting on February 20, 2025, and the official minutes would be released soon.

Ali assured that once the meeting minutes are finalized, further action will be taken immediately. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to providing modern, high-quality healthcare services and pledged that international standards of medical care would be maintained at KTH.