KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated a state-of-the-art cardiac hospital — the 10th unit of the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD) — in Baldia Town on Thursday.

The 100-bedded facility will offer free-of-cost services.

According to officials, the project was originally planned and initiated by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) years ago. But, it remained incomplete for a considerable time before the provincial government took it up with the SICVD and completed the project in less than a year.

Speaking at the ceremony, the chief minister highlighted SICVD’s services, stating that the institute had developed into the world’s largest cardiac healthcare network, operating 10 fully-fledged cardiac hospitals and 29 chest pain units across the province.

The facility, planned by KMC years ago, has been completed by Sindh in less than a year, officials say

“This extensive network currently treats over two million patients annually, all completely free of cost. It offers comprehensive cardiac services, including facilities for open-heart surgery, stroke intervention, paediatric cardiac care and emergency angioplasties, ensuring timely access to advanced cardiac treatment even in remote areas,” he said.

Karachi alone, the chief minister pointed out, was home to 19 chest pain units, strategically chosen in high-traffic locations such as Nagan Chowrangi, Landhi, Gizri, and within institutions like the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases and the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

“Beyond Karachi, chest pain units are operational in districts like Thatta, Kashmore, Jacobabad, and Umerkot, effectively bringing emergency cardiac care to patients’ doorsteps.”

The government in partnership with the SICVD was actively working on the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Karachi while similar facilities were being planned in Dadu, Qambar Shahdadkot, Matiari, and Sanghar.

Highlighting the government’s performance, the chief minister said that it had initiated 579 projects in different sectors and deployed over 22,000 officials to ensure their timely completion and operation.

The chief minister also recalled the legal and administrative challenges the provincial government was facing in running key healthcare services — the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Child Health — since 2011 following their transfer from the federal government to the province under the 18th Amendment.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2025