KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday inaugurated a new 100-bed cardiac hospital in Baldia Town — the 10th fully operational unit of the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD). The facility will offer all its services free of cost.
Originally initiated by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the hospital project had long remained incomplete. It was later taken over by the Sindh government and completed in collaboration with SICVD in under a year.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, CM Murad praised SICVD’s evolution into the world’s largest cardiac care network. The institute now operates 10 cardiac hospitals and 29 chest pain units across Sindh, providing advanced heart care to over two million patients annually — all without charge.
“These facilities provide a range of services from open-heart surgeries and stroke interventions to emergency angioplasties and pediatric cardiac care, even in underserved areas,” he stated.
The chief minister noted that Karachi alone has 19 chest pain units, set up in busy areas like Nagan Chowrangi, Landhi, Gizri, and medical institutions including KIHD and JPMC. Similar emergency units are functional in Thatta, Umerkot, Jacobabad, and Kashmore, ensuring cardiac care reaches patients quickly across the province.
He added that the government, in partnership with SICVD, is also developing the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Karachi, with further plans to build facilities in Dadu, Matiari, Sanghar, and Qambar Shahdadkot.
Murad also highlighted the provincial government’s broader development agenda, mentioning that 579 projects were underway across various sectors, supported by over 22,000 deployed personnel to ensure timely delivery.
Touching on administrative hurdles, he referred to the ongoing legal disputes since 2011 regarding the management of key institutions like JPMC, NICVD, and NICH — originally devolved to the province under the 18th Amendment — and emphasized the need for resolution to effectively serve the public.
