KARACHI: City Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed Quaid-i-Awam OPD Block at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), after which outpatient services began operating in the new block.
Addressing the ceremony, the mayor said that the opening of the new OPD block would provide patients with improved medical facilities, marking another important step towards upgrading healthcare services at ASH along modern lines.
He said that upon arriving at ASH, his first inquiry with the administration concerned the cleanliness and maintenance of the building. He stressed that improving cleanliness and maintenance systems in government hospitals was as important as providing medical treatment to patients.
Referring to ongoing development projects across the city, he said that efforts would be made to complete road construction and rehabilitation works within the next three to four months to address the difficulties faced by citizens.
Wahab announces plan to establish Friends of Karachi board to oversee ASH affairs
The mayor said that certain responsibilities should be performed directly by the government, while other projects could be completed through public-private partnerships to make better use of available resources and the capabilities of the private sector.
He added that the objective was to provide permanent solutions to public problems rather than temporary relief, adding that development activities would continue with sincerity and commitment.
He also said that protecting newly constructed roads was the responsibility of local residents. Citizens should ensure that newly built roads are not damaged or unnecessarily excavated again.
The mayor said that he intended to establish a board titled Friends of Karachi to oversee and improve the affairs of ASH.
The board would include representatives from both the public and private sectors. It would monitor the hospital’s operations and other civic matters and work towards their improvement.
He said the objective was to establish an effective and sustainable system that would not depend on any individual but would function on an institutional basis.
The mayor said that in the first phase, the priority was to activate and improve the hospital’s medical services. In the second phase, efforts would focus on improving the hospital’s overall management system, including the mechanism for the provision of medicines.
He said he had decided not to procure medicines until an effective system for their distribution was established. The administration would work to address shortcomings between the procurement of medicines and their delivery to patients, ensuring a transparent and practical mechanism.
Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2026
