SUKKUR: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho on Friday inaugurated a state-of-the-art 50-bed Trauma and Emergency Response Centre (T&ERC) during a visit to the Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College (GMMMC) and Civil Hospital Sukkur.
The facility has been established under the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma. During her visit, the health minister also formally launched an anti-polio booster dose campaign by administering drops to children.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Sindh government spokesperson and Sukkur Mayor Barrister Arslan Islam Sheikh, Sukkur Commissioner Abid Saleem Qureshi, Deputy Commissioner Nadir Shahzad Khan, GMMMC Principal Dr Saleh Channa, District Health Officer Dr Ali Gul Shah, alongside senior health department officials.
Following the ribbon-cutting, Dr Pechuho inspected various sections of the centre —including the X-ray unit, minor operation theatre and emergency wards — and directed authorities to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of quality medical services to patients.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr Saleh Channa highlighted that approximately 6,000 patients visit the hospital’s outpatient department daily.
He noted that the institution’s current annual budget of Rs400 million remains insufficient to meet growing healthcare demands.
He explained that the suspension of non-development expenditure and recurrent funds, coupled with delays in releasing revised budget allocations, had created severe financial strain, requesting the minister to grant additional funds to expand services.
Barrister Islam Sheikh stated that the Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial administration is taking practical steps to provide modern healthcare, pointing to the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD) and specialised children’s hospitals as evidence of people-oriented policies.
MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah remarked that the PPP had completed several landmark health sector projects that have earned international recognition, citing the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), SICVD, the CyberKnife facility at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi, and various trauma centres.
Mr Shah emphasised that Sukkur serves as a vital commercial and transit hub connecting Sindh with Balochistan and Punjab, adding that traffic pressure in the city had surged following motorway developments. In this context, he noted, the new T&ERC will play a crucial role in providing immediate care to road accident victims and emergency cases.
Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026