GUJRAT: The work on the first kidney center has entered into a final stage with construction on the third floor is expedited so as to make the health facility functional by the end of current month.

The recruitment of staff has already begun as former medical superintendent of Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH) Dr Tahir Abbas Gondal has been posted as its administrator.

A project of the public/private partnership, the hospital is being established near Prince Chowk along the Circular Road.

The 44-marla land for the kidney center had been donated by a local philanthropist woman to the Red Crescent Society about three decades back.

DCO Liaquat Ali Chatha had launched the kidney center project with the assistance of the Red Crescent and the local business community some 16 months ago.

A foreign company will provide 25 dialysis machines for installation at the health facility. Prior to installing dialysis machines, an electronic lift and the water filtration plant will be installed.

As many as 75 patients will benefit per day as each machine can be used for the dialysis of three patients daily.

The district government plans to conduct half of the dialysis free-of-cost and the rest on meager charges only to cover basic expenditures.

The total cost of the project’s building as well as dialysis machines has been estimated at Rs90 million out of which Rs70 million has been generated through philanthropists by the Patients Welfare Association (PWA) in collaboration with the district government.

The remaining amount will also be generated through donations. Some philanthropists have already assured the development committee being headed by PWA president Mian Muhammad Ijaz in this regard.

The development committee held a meeting to review the finishing stage of the project with the DCO in the chair at the site on Thursday.

Gujrat EDO (Finance and Planning) Chaudhry Muhammad Asghar held a briefing on the progress of the project.

The meeting decided that the kidney center would be run through a board of governor on the pattern of the Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore.

The DCO said the basement and the ground floor would be rented out to generate income for the hospital’s day-to-day affairs while the first and second floors would be used for medical purposes.

Some philanthropists have also pledged to provide regular funds for the smooth functioning of the kidney center.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2016