KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday inaugurated construction of a 100-bed state-of-the-art cardiac emergency unit at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), aimed at boosting the hospital’s capacity to provide free emergency cardiac care.
The project, being developed jointly by the provincial government, NICVD Patients’ Aid Foundation and Hilton Pharma, is expected to be completed in about eight months.
The new unit would ease pressure on the existing emergency department, which currently receives between 1,000 and 1,200 patients from across Pakistan daily.
It will include a triage unit, resuscitation unit, critical care unit, critical decision unit, STAT laboratory, fast-track facility, pharmacy, waiting area and help desk.
Murad says 100-bed facility will significantly boost hospital’s capacity
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, the chief minister said that the facility was not merely the commencement of another construction project; it was the beginning of a facility that would save lives, provide hope to families and further strengthen Pakistan’s largest and most trusted cardiac care institution.
According to a press statement issued by the CM House, the ceremony was attended, among others, by Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, NICVD Executive Director Prof Dr Tahir Saghir, senior doctors, philanthropists and representatives of donor organisations.
The chief minister said that the NICVD had become a national referral centre by providing comprehensive cardiac treatment free of cost. “In cardiac emergencies every second counts and delays can mean the difference between life and death,” he said.
According to data presented by Prof Saghir, NICVD treated more than 1.6 million patients in 2025 compared to 583,000 in 2014. Between 2019 and 2025, over 1.32m patients from outside Sindh received treatment in Karachi, including 906,000 from Balochistan, 304,000 from Punjab and 101,000 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2025 alone, the institute performed 9,279 primary PCIs, 18,875 angiographies and 1,489 cardiac surgeries.
CM Shah said the project reflects efficient use of existing infrastructure. “After the inauguration of NICVD’s new OPD complex in December 2025, the old OPD building is being converted into the dedicated cardiac emergency facility,” he added.
The chief minister also announced that a separate seven-storey, 300-bed paediatric cardiac unit was under construction at NICVD, with five operation theatres, four cath labs, a hybrid lab, CT and MRI facilities, and a 250-seat conference hall and library.
Recalling that the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Child Health and the NICVD were transferred to Sindh after the 18th Amendment, Mr Shah said the provincial government had not only sustained the institutions but expanded their facilities and budgets through public-private partnerships.
He said that healthcare development could not be the responsibility of government alone. “Sustainable progress requires collaboration among government institutions, private organisations, philanthropists and civil society,” he added.
Health Minister Dr Pechuho termed the new emergency block a “milestone” in lifesaving treatment. “NICVD has become a symbol of excellence in public healthcare. This modern emergency department will further enhance its ability to provide timely, high-quality and completely free cardiac care to thousands of patients every year,” she said.
Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2026
