LAHORE - At the time when Punjab government seems quite determined to restart liver transplantation in the province, a 40-year-old man, the lone survivor of liver transplantation in the country, owes his life to the medicines being imported from abroad. Saleem Jehangir Marri of Kohlu Agency Balochistan is the only patient out of those six who have undergone liver transplantation in the country and is still alive. The rests of them had expired during or after the transplantation. The reason for his survivor is he gets regular supplies of medicines from India that has been prescribed by the local doctors. Saleem dejectedly said that he had tried his best but failed to find the medicines from any part of the country. Saleem Jehangir was operated upon successfully in a private hospital of the City a couple of years ago and is quite healthy now. Earlier five other liver transplants were performed in the country - two in Karachi and three in Lahore. In Lahore, these operations were performed in Children's Hospital, Hamid Latif Hospital and Masood Hospital. A minor baby who was operated in Children Hospital died during the operation due to insufficient quantity of anesthesia while a patient who was operated in Hamid Latif hospital breathed his last some 45 days after his liver transplant due to severe infection in the liver and poor medication. Similarly, the two other patients whose surgeries were performed in Karachi also died during the operation. Although Jehangir bore high expenses for his liver transplant but these were not too costly as compared to the other countries like India, China, Singapore and England. Before surgery the hospital management demand Rs4 million for the operation but it shared fifty per cent expenses from the hospital fund on the patient's request. Jehangir's younger brother Atta Ullah advocate donated his own liver to safe his life. Though his condition is fine the postoperative treatment and care is quite a difficult task for him. His main problem is the nonavailability of medicines in Pakistan. He was shocked to learn when the doctors informed him that 'Pangras' the medicines prescribed in such cases was not available in the country. Later he came to know the medicines could be arranged only from those countries where liver transplant was carried out like India, China, Singapore, England and America. He contacted the doctors, health departments and pharmaceutical companies of the said countries through Internet. "I preferred the neighbouring country India for the reasons of price and easy access" he said. He is taking four capsules daily prescribed by the doctors. Medics have warned him that missing of even one doze of capsules (Pangras) could prove fatal for him. Jehangir is purchasing medicines from India through his relatives living there or through other means. Each four capsules cost Rs500 but the cost incurred on their delivery here in the country is three times higher than the actual price of the medicines. His agony does not end here. Regular check up of the patient is must after every three months. Jehangir too visits Lahore every three months for the necessary clinical investigations including LFTs, which are carried out to examine the liver condition. But these investigations are too costly besides the expenses of traveling and accommodation in a local hotel. Talking to The Nation, Saleem Jehangir Marri shared his story full of sufferings when he was diagnosed Hepatitis patient some six years ago. During the treatment he further came to know that his liver had damaged completely due to severe attack of hepatitis disease. It is pertinent to mention that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced to set up liver transplant centers in the province so that liver operations could be conducted locally and the patients do not have to go abroad. He had also constituted a committee in this regard. The case of Jehangir Marri will provide this committee some food for thought.