Lahore: The Punjab government on Friday issued registration certificates for organ transplantation to three hospitals, enabling them to continue providing specialised transplant services under the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA).
According to the Health Department, the Multan Institute of Kidney Diseases and Saleem Memorial Hospital Lahore were granted registration certificates for renal transplantation for the next three years, while the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI), Lahore, received a three-year registration certificate for pancreas transplantation.
PKLI was also issued separate registration certificates for liver and renal transplantation for the next six months. The certificates were granted following inspections conducted by PHOTA and recommendations of its Executive Committee.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the Punjab government was strengthening the capacity of PHOTA in line with the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to improve the healthcare system across the province.
He said historic measures were being taken to enhance organ transplantation services, adding that PHOTA had played a vital role in saving thousands of lives through regulated transplantation facilities.
The minister said the Punjab government had also introduced several innovative health programmes, providing free medical treatment worth billions of rupees to the public.
Director General PHOTA Professor Aamir Zaman Khan said the authority was being developed on modern lines in accordance with the provincial government’s vision. He reaffirmed that no leniency would be shown towards individuals involved in the illegal transplantation of human organs in Punjab.