KARACHI: Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho inaugurated a new obstetric and gynaecological unit at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Tuesday.

The unit named after Dr Shereen Bhutta, former head of JPMC’s gynaecology department, has a 60-bed ward with all obstetric and gynaecological facilities and clinics for antenatal service, infertility and high-risk pregnancies.

Dr Nighat Shah, who has earlier served at the Aga Khan University Hospital, would head the facility.

Speaking at the event, Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta said the unit would be the first centre of excellence for women’s health and research in Pakistan in the public sector.

“The priority of this unit should be to train others who can then go to underserved areas and provide services and expertise to those communities who do not have access to this type of healthcare or knowledge,” he said, adding that he would start an endowment fund in the name of his late wife Dr Shereen.

The minister praised Dr Shereen’s services and said she spent her entire life attending to the needs of poor women.

“The health department and the Sindh government will offer full support to this unit. I am impressed to see young dedicated doctors who have been trained at the JPMC.”

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2022