Announcing that no obstacle would be tolerated in the way of free treatment of heart patients, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said that a decision had been taken to restore the legal status of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi. Presiding over 84th meeting of the governing body of the NICVD in Karachi, the chief minister said that by removing legal ambiguities, the institute would be enabled to provide services to people without any interruption.

He also announced Rs15.50 billion grant in aid for the institute’s operational matters. CM Murad said that the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (ZABICVD) in Landhi area of Karachi would be the world’s largest hospital for the treatment of heart patients. Some important decisions were taken at the meeting for the protection of the institute’s future and continuity of services. 

The meeting also approved the immediate appointment of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the NICVD. CM Murad said that the NICVD needed an additional grant of Rs3.5 billion in the financial year, 2025-26. NICVD Executive Director Professor Tahir Sagheer, who gave a detailed briefing to the chief minister, said that so far, the allocation of Rs10 billion had been approved for the hospital, while it was facing a deficit of Rs4.6 billion.

He added that an increase in administrative and service expenditures led to the funding gap.CM Murad said that over 200 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures were performed at the hospital for free, while private hospitals charged Rs4 million for the purpose. He informed that 9,925 Primary Angioplasty procedures were performed at the hospital in 2024. “The institute is the world’s largest primary angioplasty center,” he informed.

The chief minister went on to say that for the first time, the hospital provided treatment facilities to the children with heart problem in Balochistan. He was informed that over 100 pediatric surgeries and over 300 interventions were done in Balochistan, while more than 450 procedures were completed under the Stroke Intervention Programme. The chief minister was briefed about work going on 300-bed new pediatric unit.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)