KARACHI: The long overdue trauma centre on the Superhighway was inaugurated on Wednesday by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah with Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan.

The centre is equipped with latest gadgets to take care of the injured in cases of fatal traffic accidents and it will now be instrumental in saving precious lives which in the past used to be lost during shifting to Karachi.

The centre is located at Dumba Goth on the Superhighway at a distance of four kilometres from the toll plaza. The centre will also provide emergency medical aid and complete health facilities to the villagers, including women living near the Superhighway, stated Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali while addressing a gathering organised for the inaugural ceremony of a FWO Public School and the trauma centre.

The chief minister said his efforts were not only for initiating development projects, but also to ensure their quality and timely completion.

He appreciated the important role of FWO in the development of the province by pointing out the upgrading of the Superhighway to Motorway. “We have also given them K-IV project which the FWO has started at six year old cost and completing it within two years of record period instead of four years, which would be their great contribution,” he said.

Mr Shah said that the school and trauma centre, which was inaugurated jointly with the governor would be a game changer in education sector by providing quality education in rural areas of Karachi.

Recalling that he was working to improve all roads of Karachi and beautify important roundabouts apart from proving necessary facilities to the people of Karachi, the chief minister said that due to reconstruction of the Superhighway the ratio of road accidents had increased considerably. He urged NHA to construct diversions properly.

Earlier, the chief minister with Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, FWO DG Maj Gen Afzal and chief secretary Siddique Memon took an aerial view of the under-construction K-IV bulk water supply project.

Vehicles inspection

The chief minister on Wednesday also approved in principle the proposal of outsourcing motor vehicle inspection & certification system (VICS) so that proper inspection of vehicles could be made and directed Sindh Transport Minister Nasir Shah to put up a summary for approval of outsourcing the motor vehicle inspection.

The chief minister, who was presiding over a meeting on transport here at CM House attended by Transport Minister Syed Nasir Shah, ACS (Dev) M. Waseem, secretary of transport Taha Farooqui, DG of mass transit authority Syed Asadullah Shah and others, was earlier informed that unfit, old and defective vehicles were running on roads all over the province.

“The inspection in the government sector is not up to the mark and has a lot of issues. Therefore the government has decided to outsource the inspection and certification of vehicles, commercial, non-commercial and private as some companies have shown interest in the project.”

The chief minister was also informed that a subscriber identity module (SIM) would be installed in the registration number plate of each and every vehicle connected with the main data of Motor Vehicle Registration Wing of excise and taxation department.

The scanning of the SIM by police, traffic and any other forces would disclose the complete data of a vehicle, including ownership, tax paid, inspection done/due and such other data.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2016