Lahore, November 03, 2020 (PPI-OT): Principal Post Graduate Medical Institute Prof. Dr. Sardar Muhammad Al-freed Zafar adding to his mission of serving the suffering humanity has installed a hemodialysis machine in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Lahore General Hospital for the first time in the history. Installation of this machine has given a unique facility to the critically unwell patients undergoing treatment in the ICU which will help in saving many human lives. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the dialysis machine, Prof. Dr. Al-freed Zafar Head of LGH, said that earlier due to lack of dialysis facility in ICU, patients and their families used to face a very painful situation.
The difficulty has been eased and it will not only benefit the patients but also the doctors treating them in the ICU will be able to serve the patients in a better way, he added. Prof. Judat Saleem, Additional Director Emergency Dr. Laila Shafiq, Nursing Supervisor Anwar Sultana, Rana Pervaiz, doctors, nurses and patients’ families were also present on this occasion. Prof. Al-freed revealed that LGH has become the first hospital in the public sector to provide maximum medical and diagnostic facilities to patients up to their beds and it is the only place in Pakistan where patients are looked after as per rules and regulations of Pakistan Nursing Council and 1387 staff nurses and 124 head nurses are deployed in the hospital for better care of patients.
He further said that now the ICU will also have dialysis which is nothing less than a breath of fresh air for the patients who are in dire need of it. Prof. Zafar said that availability of dialysis machine in the ICU had become the most important need of the hour and by providing such facilities in other hospitals, the problems of patients waiting for dialysis can be overcome. Therefore, along with the Government, philanthropists should also cooperate in providing dialysis machines in public sector as well.
Talking to media, Principal PGMI said that an alarming increase in the number of kidney diseases has been observed in the country mainly due to self-medication, treatment by quacks, eating of steroids and use of antibiotics. Similarly unnecessary use of medicines and non-supply of unadulterated food items cause kidney failure and there is no permanent solution except transplantation. However, dialysis is a great way to provide temporary relief to the patient. He said that if this facility was made available to the patients on a regular basis, then the patients with failed kidneys would also be able to live for a long time without transplantation.
However, there is an urgent need for public awareness along with strict measures to prevent these diseases so that people can take precautionary measures to be protected from kidney diseases and not reach dialysis, Principal PGMI added. Prof. Alfreed Zafar stressed that media, civil society and social organizations should come forward to do their part for the prevention of diseases and highlighting importance of hygiene food and hygiene principles and it is better to make the slogan popular that precaution is better than treatment. Through these measures kidney patients can survive for a long time, Prof. Al-freed Zafar concluded.
For more information, contact:
Directorate General Public Relations,
Government of the Punjab
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-9201390-86
Website: www.punjab.gov.pk