GUJRAT: The Kidney Centre Gujrat has finally become functional on Thursday with 16 dialysis machines installed, while the health facility established through public-private partnership will have nine more such machines.

The piece of land on Circular Road near Prince Chowk, where the Kidney Centre has been constructed, was donated by a local philanthropist woman to the Gujrat Red Crescent Society. The project took at least 18 months to go functional.

The funds for the three-storey building were also provided by local philanthropists and so far Rs42.5 million have been collected for the centre by a committee comprising officials of the district government and headed by industrialist Mian Muhammad Ijaz. District Coordination Officer Liaqat Ali Chatha, president Patients Welfare Association, Gujrat, Mian Muhammad Ijaz and Executive District Officer (finance) Chaudhry Muhammad Asghar jointly inaugurated the centre at a ceremony also attended by a number of donors.

Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed, chairman Servis Group, donated Rs5 million for the establishment of the centre, besides pledging as much amount in donation annually. Another local businessman, Aurang Zaib Butt, has also donated Rs12.5 million for the project.

Chaudhry Azhar Hussain, a local PML-N leader donated Rs2m, while both Nawabzada Tahirul Mulk and ex-MPA Haji Nasir Mehmood gave Rs1 million each for the facility, besides a number of other donations by local trade and industry.

A dialysis machine costs Rs1 million, while a German company that was given contract for supplying and installing these machines has so far been paid Rs25m. A latest electronic lift, having a capacity to carry a bed to shift patients to upper floors, has also been installed at a cost of Rs3m. An official at the centre said the facility had 25 beds, while around 700-foot deep digging was carried out to pump out clean water to be used to run the dialysis machines.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the DCO said a Rs82m had so far been spent on the project, while around Rs40m more were required for its completion. As many 30 patients had so far been registered with the centre where at least five machines had been dedicated for hepatitis patients, he added.

Retired medical superintendent of the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Dr Tahir Abbas Gondal has been appointed as the administrator of the centre, whereas Nephrologist Dr Umar Dar’s services have been hired on once-a-week (every Sunday) basis. Some international experts will also continue to provide advisory services to the centre on voluntary basis.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2016