KARACHI: A dilapidated hospital building in Baldia Town’s Dawood Goth will be completely revamped and turned into a 100-bed healthcare facility in less than seven months, said Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel.

The minister visited the Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) and discussed with Vice Chancellor Prof Amjad Siraj Memon plans to renovate the building and operational procedures.

The KMC had previously planned to convert the building into a hospital; however it is currently in a deteriorated state.

During the meeting, Mr Patel reiterated the government’s commitment towards providing quality healthcare especially in the underprivileged areas and said he would personally monitor the progress of the work.

The hospital, he said, would provide the much-needed healthcare facilities to the people of Karachi and Balochistan.

He suggested naming the hospital after Shaheed Idi Amin Trauma Centre to acknowledge the devotion of a social worker of the area.

In his remarks, JSMU VC Prof Memon said the university would extend all possible support to the government to set up a modern and well-equipped healthcare facility in Dawood Goth.

Currently, he shared, the hospital was a grey structured building and in a dilapidated state.

Dr Muhammad Sabir Memon, the chief executive officer of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma, said the building’s PC-1 would be approved soon and the renovation would start as a non-annual development scheme.

In addition to government funding, Mr Patel stated that he would work to enlist the help of donors in the hospital’s equipment procurement.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2023