- Hospital official tells SC transplant unit was closed after donor’s death
- CJP questions why record of salaries being paid to PKLI employees wasn’t submitted on Sunday
LAHORE: The Supreme Court (SC) Lahore Registry summoned Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SH&ME) Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and Sheikh Zayed Hospital’s monitoring committee in a case pertaining to the liver transplant unit’s closure.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar resumed the suo motu hearing on the closure of liver and kidney transplant unit of Sheikh Zayed Hospital at the apex court on Monday. The top judge remarked that the hospital’s transplant unit has been closed for the last five months.
“The transplant unit was closed after the death of the owner,” hospital Director Technical Dr Murtaza informed the court. “You closed down the transplant unit due to the death of a donor?” asked the CJP in response.
Dr Murtaza shared that the transplants were being held at Al-Shifa Hospital during this time.
“We know why transplant operations are being conducted there,” the CJP remarked, adding that the transplant unit was actually closed to benefit Al-Shifa Hospital. “How much money is being given to Al-Shifa Hospital for one transplant?” he further asked.
“Rs 3.5 million is charged for one transplant patient at Sheikh Zayed Hospital and Al-Shifa is being given Rs 4.01 million for the transplant of one patient,” answered Dr Murtaza.
“You closed down the unit in January. The inquiry report hasn’t been submitted even after five months,” observed the chief justice, upon which Dr Murtaza replied that the Human Organs Transplant Authority (HOTA) monitoring committee has called a meeting over the issue on May 20.
The top judge also asked if the transplant unit has adequate facilities to conduct the procedure. He was told that the unit has all the facilities but needs HOTA’s permission to conduct the operation.
HEFTY SALARIES AT PKLI:
While hearing another case pertaining to the hefty salaries of staff at Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI), Justice Nisar inquired what amount from the Rs 20 billion allocated for hospital funds has been spent on it.
“The nurses and doctors were employed on hefty salaries at the hospital. Please submit details of this,” directed the CJP, adding that the PKLI head and his wife are being paid exorbitant salaries.
Nisar remarked that he had directed to send the report to the Punjab chief secretary’s house on Sunday. “Why has it still not been sent?” he questioned.
“Funds worth billions of rupees were released for the hospital, of which millions were just spent on employee salaries,” he observed, adding that not a single operation was conducted at the health facility.
On Sunday, the CJP had taken notice of hefty salaries being paid to PKLI staff. The court had ordered PKLI to give details of all doctors and staff employed at the hospital along with records of their salaries.
