The Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) has cemented its place among the world’s leading transplant centers after successfully completing its 1,000th liver transplant. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Pakistan’s healthcare sector, realizing a vision set in 2017 by the-then Punjab Chief Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
According to a PKLI spokesperson, in addition to the 1,000 liver transplants, the institute has also performed 1,100 kidney transplants and 14 bone marrow transplants. To date, over 4 million patients have benefited from the facility’s services, with approximately 80% receiving world-class treatment completely free of charge.
The institute’s journey, however, faced a severe setback. The spokesperson stated that during the previous PTI government’s tenure, the institute was allegedly “politically victimized.” Funds were frozen, and the world-class transplant center was converted into a COVID hospital. As a result, only four liver transplants were performed in all of 2019.
Following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s return to power in 2022, the institute’s revival was prioritized. With funding restored, PKLI resumed its core mission, leading to a dramatic surge in surgeries, with over 800 successful liver transplants completed between 2022 and 2025.
Expressing his gratitude on reaching the milestone, Prime Minister Sharif said, “By the grace of God, the seed we planted in 2017 has today become a towering tree.” He paid tribute to Dr. Saeed Akhtar and his entire team for their role in “serving suffering humanity and saving lives.”
