Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced that no disruption in the provision of free treatment for cardiac diseases will be tolerated.
An 84th governing body meeting of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) was held under the chairmanship of the Sindh Chief Minister. The meeting was attended by the Sindh Health Minister, the Mayor of Karachi, the Chief Secretary, secretaries, members of the provincial assembly, while NICVD Executive Director Professor Tahir Saghir briefed the participants.
According to the spokesperson, the Chief Minister approved a grant in aid of Rs 15.5 billion for the hospital’s operational affairs and stated that NICVD would require an additional Rs 3.5 billion grant in the fiscal year 2025–26.
Officials informed the meeting that the Sindh Chief Minister has so far approved Rs 10 billion, while NICVD is facing an overall deficit of Rs 4.6 billion. A funding gap has emerged due to an increase in administrative and service expenditures.
The spokesperson said that approval was also given for the immediate appointment of a Chief Operating Officer and a Chief Financial Officer at the hospital.
The Sindh Chief Minister stated that the appointments of the COO and CFO would be made through an open market and competitive process, adding that legal ambiguities would be removed to enable the institution to serve the public without hindrance. He noted that NICVD has performed more than 200 TAVI procedures free of cost.
Murad Ali Shah said that the cost of a TAVI procedure at private hospitals is approximately Rs 4 million. He added that NICVD Karachi performed 9,925 primary angioplasties in 2024 and is the world’s largest primary angioplasty center. He further stated that the hospital has, for the first time, provided pediatric cardiac treatment facilities in Balochistan.
The Chief Minister was briefed that more than 100 pediatric surgeries and over 300 interventions have been completed in Balochistan, while more than 450 procedures were carried out under the stroke intervention program.
According to the spokesperson, the Sindh Chief Minister also reviewed the progress of work on a new 300 bed pediatric unit and the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Landhi.
He said that the institute being established in Landhi will have 1,200 beds and that the Landhi cardiac institute will be the world’s largest heart hospital.
The Chief Minister also directed the formulation of a plan for the merger of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and the National Institute of Child Health. He further instructed that the appointment of KPMG be finalized.
