GUJRAT: The Gujrat Kidney Centre will be transformed into a kidney transplant facility for the entire Gujranwala region as seven more dialysis machines were made functional on Wednesday.

The number of such machines at the health facility has now reached 30.

Earlier, some 50 to 55 patients were being provided the facility of free dialysis at the centre and with the addition of seven more machines, the management of the centre said it could now cater for at least 75 patients in three shifts daily.

Servis Group of Industries Chairman Chaudhry Umar Saeed and Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Dr Khurram Shahzad jointly inaugurated the seven new dialysis machines. Local philanthropists were also present at the ceremony.

The Gujrat DC said the administration’s plan was to transform the centre as a kidney transplant facility in the region in near future for which a feasibility report was being worked out.

Umar Saeed, the chief guest, said his family would now provide a laser lithotripsy machine for kidney stone crushing to the centre due to which its cost could rise even from Rs40 million as initially its previous model had to be purchased.

However, keeping in view the laser treatment of the kidney stones, he has decided to purchase a latest machine as in future such a machine would be required separately.

The late Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed had announced that he would donate the lithotripsy machine last year. However, due to the lengthy procedure of the procurement of the machine, its provision had been delayed. His son Umar Saeed had announced that he would honour his father’s commitments to the kidney centre including Rs1 million monthly donation as a contribution to the Rs4.2 million monthly cost of the free dialysis of the patients at the centre. The centre had already been receiving the amount for the last two years.

The kidney centre was established as a public-private partnership project in the tenure of former Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha in 2016.

Mian Muhammad Ijaz, the president of the Gujrat Patients Welfare Association, and head of the kidney centre, Dr Tahir Abbas Gondal, briefed the participants on the performance of the centre.

The land for the establishment of the kidney centre was provided by the Red Crescent Society of the health department and all the financial resources including those of the building structure as well as the entire machinery and equipment had been provided by the local philanthropists.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2019