KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday instructed the health department to accelerate work on 16 major projects, aiming to open them to the public within this financial year.

Reviewing the development portfolio of fiscal year 2025-26 and progress on the province’s “flagship” health projects at a meeting at the CM House, he directed all departments to speed up work on the 16 projects so that they could be opened for public service during the current financial year.

He emphasised that several of these schemes were critical, life-saving facilities and must not suffer delays due to procedural or financial bottlenecks.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Planning and Development (P&D) Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Works and Services (W&S) Minister Haji Ali Hassan Zardari, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, W&S Secretary Nawaz Sohoo and Health Secretary Rehan Baloch.

According to a press statement issued by the CM House, the health department delivered a comprehensive briefing on the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2025-26, which covered 178 schemes – 140 ongoing and 38 new – with an allocation of Rs45.37 billion.

Dr Pechuho reported that allocations, releases and expenditures had been closely monitored, with 21 per cent utilisation recorded up to 17 November 2025.

Detailed progress was also shared on teaching hospitals, district hospitals, medical education, preventive programmes and foreign-aided projects.

The meeting began with a review of the Paediatric Cardiac Unit at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi, where the revised PC-I valued at Rs9.924bn has been submitted.

The CM instructed that the process be finalised without delay, remarking that this was a life-saving unit and “cost escalations should not slow us down; finalise it immediately.”

50-bed hospitals in F.B Area and Gulshan-i-Hadeed

The chief minister was informed that the 50-bed hospital in Block 13 of Federal B Area, Gulberg Town, had its building fully completed.

The CM said he had released the remaining Rs148.196 million; therefore, procurement must be carried out on a fast track so that the project is completed during the current financial year.

It was also informed that work on the 50-bedded hospital in Gulshan-i-Hadeed, Malir, was progressing, with the project fully funded and procurement having begun.

Razzaqabad Medical Complex

The meeting was told that the Razzaqabad Medical Complex on the National Highway, which was revised in June 2025, required an additional Rs3.082bn to complete the scheme.

The chief minister directed the finance department to release the required funds allocated for FY 2025-26 so construction could proceed without interruption.

Civil Hospital Karachi

The CM instructed officials to expedite the approval process for the new Radiology Department planned for the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

He also highlighted the urgency of reconstructing the hospital’s Emergency Unit, another new scheme whose PC-I is under revision, stressing the high patient load and the need to proceed quickly.

The other “flagship” health projects included Kamal Goth Maternity Home, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Departments at SMBB Trauma Centre, Psychiatry and Emergency Unit at Sindh Government Hospi­tal, Saudabad, Accident and Emergency Centre at Daulatpur, Tehsil Head­quarters Hospital in Ghor­a­bari, Modular Operating Theatres in five major hospitals, upgradation of RHC Garhi Khuda Bux to a 50-bed hospital, upgradation of DHQs in Khairpur, Badin and Shikarpur, upgradation of Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals in Matiari, Kamber and Umerkot to DHQ level, and a 600-bed hospital planned in Larkana.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2025