ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) has achieved a major milestone by completing 1,000 successful liver transplants, placing Pakistan among the world’s leading centres for advanced organ transplantation.
According to PTV News, the achievement reflects Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision to modernise the country’s healthcare system and make international-standard treatment accessible within Pakistan.
Established in 2017 during Sharif’s tenure as Punjab chief minister, PKLI was conceived as a national centre of excellence. Since then, it has conducted 1,000 liver, 1,100 kidney, and 14 bone marrow transplants while providing medical care to more than four million patients nationwide.
The institute’s administration said that around 80 per cent of patients receive free treatment, while others pay up to Rs 6 million — considerably less than the regional or global cost of similar procedures. Before PKLI’s establishment, nearly 500 Pakistanis travelled to India each year for liver transplants, spending between $70,000 and $150,000 per procedure.
PKLI’s expansion has not been without challenges. Operations were disrupted during the tenure of the former Chief Justice and the PTI government due to funding and administrative hurdles, with only four liver transplants performed in 2019.
Following the revival measures introduced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after 2022, PKLI’s performance improved sharply, completing 211 liver transplants in 2022, 213 in 2023, 259 in 2024, and over 200 so far this year.
Now operating as a full-scale, international-standard facility, PKLI houses specialised departments in urology, nephrology, gastroenterology, interventional radiology, advanced endoscopy, and robotic surgery. With support from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the institute is also training medical professionals under the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) fellowship programmes, with 93 trainees enrolled and 25 fellows graduated.
PKLI’s future plans include establishing a PKLI University, a Bio Bank Research Facility, and launching medical tourism initiatives. Officials said the institute stands as a symbol of national self-reliance and a major step toward transforming Pakistan’s healthcare landscape.
