KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah laid the foundation stone for construction of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi at a ceremony held here.
According to a handout issued here on Sunday, 200-bed Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit will be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 1800 million with the full financial assistance of the Sindh Government. The project will be completed within two years.
Addressing on the occasion, the Chief Minister lauded the services of NICVD for catering the increasing demand of diagnosis, management and prevention of cardiovascular diseases not only of the province of Sindh but of entire Pakistan. He said that if this Institute comes under complete administrative control of Sindh government then the provincial government will take extraordinary measures for equipping this Institute with modern facilities beyond the expectations of people and medical fraternity.
He further said that education and health sectors were among the top most priority of the provincial government.
“In spite of financial constraints and limited resources Sindh government has increased the budgetary allocation three fold for health sector”, he added.
He said that more than Rs 14 billion has been earmarked for health sector in the present financial year adding that the Sindh government was establishing new hospitals at district and taluka level while Rural Health Centres (RHCs), Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Dispensers were being equipped with required modern facilities so that people could be provided best possible medical services at their door steps.
He said though Sindh government has taken various steps to improve the health sector however there is always room for improvement which was being focused by provincial government.
Qaim Ali Shah said that the addition of a separate Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit in NICVD will be a milestone for treatment of heart related diseases among children and people of entire country will get benefitted.
Executive Director and Chairman Academic Faculty National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Professor Khan Shah Zaman in his welcome address thanked the Chief Minister for his keen interest in the establishment of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit in NICVD.
Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2014
Pakistan Peoples Party Official 