CM visits PKLI, meets kidney transplant patients

LAHORE, May 31 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute (PKLI) here Thursday and met two patients and their attendants who had gone through kidney transplants.
Addressing the ceremony held on the occasion, the Chief Minister said PKLI had been established with Rs 20 billion, adding that its first phase had been completed and nursing school and research centre were being set up as well.
He said, attendants were happy over the kidney transplants of their patients as this hospital was no less than any European institution with regard to medical facilities. He said PKLI was a wonderful medical institution and other hospitals including the Aga Khan Hospital had no value before it. He said, 70 medical experts from Europe and Middle East were working here and treatment and medicines of the deserving patients was totally free. He said start of liver transplantation had been delayed because of many reasons.
He said merit was fully promoted in Punjab, adding that all recruitments including in police and employment of two lakh teachers had been done purely on merit. “This hospital does not belong to Punjab province but is meant for the whole of Pakistan and deserving patients coming from across the country will get free treatment here,” he added.
He said, liver transplant would also be started in next two, three months. He said that Rs 1.5 billion had been spent on treatment of poor patients in India during the last ten years and after the start of this hospital, this chapter would be closed.
Talking about the energy projects, he said, there was no load-shedding around, adding the government made billions of rupees investment in energy projects and electricity produced in the Punjab was being supplied to the whole of Pakistan. “We have fulfilled the promise of avoiding load-shedding in harsh weather by supplying continuous electricity, he added.
He said, elections should be held free and fair. He said that passing of resolution about delay in elections by Baluchistan assembly was not a good omen. “Nation wants timely elections,” he added.
He said, two democratic governments had had completed their tenures which was a success of democratic system. It was necessary that all should jointly work for national progress and they could leave India behind in many sectors in next five years if government and the opposition could collectively work for national development.
Replying to a question, he said nation had become quite mature now and it should evaluate that who had served them and who had wasted their time.
About the caretaker chief minister, he said, Khan Sahib was continuously speaking lies for the last five years and took U-turns. “Opposition leader gave name of caretaker chief minister after consulting party chief but then Imran Niazi took U-turn and it is, in fact, an excuse to delay,” he opined.
The Chief Minister said democracy would be promoted if elections were held free and fair.