KARACHI: Led by classic car collector Imad Samad in his magnificent white 91-year-old Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe with Sabina Mansoor following in her red 1952 MG TD and her husband Capt Mansoor ul Islam in his green 1952 MG TD with other timeless beauties like Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Jaguar E Type, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Willys Jeep and BMW in tow, the vintage and classic cars drove into the 24-hour donation drive-thru facility at the new Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) Trust Hospital on main Sharea Faisal on Sunday morning.
With the holy month of Ramazan just round the corner, the cars, under the umbrella of the Vintage and Classic Rally Drivers Association of Pakistan (VCRDAP), were at SIUT to launch the first donation drive-thru facility at the hospital to inaugurate a convenient and organised way for the public to support free patient care.
Set up in 1971 by the well-known humanitarian surgeon Syed Adibul Hasan Rizvi, SIUT has provided completely free, high-quality medical care to more than 35 million patients. With continued community support, the institution remains focused on expanding its services to reach out to those in need.
It was a little over a year ago that the Regent Plaza Hotel, designed by the first lady architect of Pakistan, Yasmeen Lari, and built on over 47,000 square yards of land, was bought and converted into the SIUT Trust Hospital. Because of its central location on main Sharea Faisal, it is currently being developed as a future-ready campus that integrates clinical services with academic and research initiatives. Alongside existing services, the facility will support training programmes, clinical research and the gradual integration of advanced digital technologies aimed at improving patient outcomes.
Senior nephrologist Dr Syed Sarfraz Sarwar said that Sharea Faisal is a main artery of Pakistan connected to the National Highway. “It makes this hospital more accessible for patients from other cities of Sindh,” he said.
As per SIUT’s motto of providing quality healthcare with dignity, free of cost, and without discrimination, the SIUT Trust Hospital provides essential services including dialysis, lithotripsy and physiotherapy. The dialysis unit operates multiple beds daily under experienced nephrologists and trained nursing staff using modern equipment that meets international standards, while advanced lithotripsy and comprehensive physiotherapy services continue to expand patient care. It is currently providing dialysis free of charge to some 200 patients here.
While sharing his appreciation for the SIUT and its founder, Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi, President of VCRDAP Imad Samad said that Dr Rizvi’s lifelong dedication to humanity and his unwavering commitment to providing free treatment with dignity continue to inspire generations. “He is a living legend. And it is heartening to see this new facility,” he said.
Razi Nayyer, who participated in the drive-thru in his father’s internationally travelled two-tone beige and maroon 1965 Mercedes, said that he felt like one of Dr Rizvi’s soldiers during the inauguration. “My wife is a doctor who has had the honour of working with Dr Rizvi as a volunteer so this is a cause very close to my heart. Therefore, I also brought with me the car which is very close to my heart from my collection,” he said.
Atif Jan of SIUT welcomed all the VCRDAP members before taking them on a tour of the hospital to show its transformation from a five-star hotel to a state-of-the-art teaching hospital. Later, he along with Dr Rehan Mohsin also gave a presentation where they apprised about SIUT’s expansion plans and upcoming projects all over the country.
Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026
