The Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant has been rebranded as the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI) and has begun offering outpatient services, dialysis, ultrasound, CT scans, and an Acute Medical Unit (AMU) under three financial models.
According to sources, patients can pay full charges, receive a 30% subsidy, or access free treatment through Zakat funding.
The institute plans to commence kidney and liver transplant procedures in September 2025. Until then, transplant patients are being referred to PKLI Lahore.
Originally launched in 2012 as the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant by Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the project faced years of delays. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was temporarily repurposed as a treatment center for infected patients before resuming operations as a specialized kidney and urology facility, offering free dialysis, OPD services, emergency care, and essential diagnostic tests.
On April 14, 2023, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif officially renamed it the Institute of Urology and Transplantation Rawalpindi. In September 2024, it was further upgraded to PKLI Rawalpindi, modeled after the Lahore facility.
Patients visiting the OPD are charged Rs600 for registration, Rs2,800 for a consultation, Rs3,500 for an ultrasound, Rs9,000 for a plain CT scan, Rs15,000 for a contrast CT scan, and Rs7,400 per dialysis session. However, lithotripsy, a non-invasive kidney stone removal procedure, is not yet available.
To ensure accessibility, PKLI Rawalpindi follows three financial models: patients can either pay full charges, apply for a 30% subsidy, or seek full coverage through Zakat funding after an interview process.
Project Director Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Khan stated that while the facility has five fully functional operation theatres and an MRI machine, transplant procedures have yet to begin. Since September last year, all transplant cases have been referred to PKLI Lahore.
Meanwhile, Benazir Bhutto General Hospital’s Urology Department is also providing free kidney treatments, including dialysis, surgeries, and lithotripsy. Two of its operation theatres are functional, with two more nearing completion.
Six successful kidney transplants have been conducted so far, and four to five more cases are awaiting approval from the Punjab Human Organ Authority.
The head of the department, Dr. Zain Al-Aamer, emphasized that all kidney-related treatments at the facility are free. With four operational theatres, he expects a reduction in surgery wait times and a significant increase in the number of transplants and other urological procedures.
