KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced that, with support from Faisal Edhi, his government will construct a Medical Tower at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) for $17 million. Of this sum, $10 million has already been secured, and the government will provide the remaining $7 million.
He announced this during the inauguration of the new Emergency Block at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari unveiled the plaque to mark the inauguration. Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Executive Director of NICVD Prof Tahir Saghir, Mushtaq Chhapra of Patients’ Aid, Prof Tariq Mahmood of Cyberknife, Shabir Diwan, and others attended the event.
NICH’s new Medical Tower:
While speaking at the event, Murad Ali Shah revealed that Faisal Edhi informed him of plans to build a Medical Tower at NICH, costing $17 million.
Of this amount, $10 million has already been secured. The Chief Minister immediately pledged to present the proposal to the cabinet for approval to secure the remaining $7 million.
“This demonstrates how our partnership with philanthropists and healthcare professionals is making progress,” he said.
Post-18th Amendment healthcare saga
Chief Minister Shah began by providing the necessary background, noting that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, hospitals were transferred to provincial control. He recalled a critical moment when, without any prior consultation, the Federal Government abruptly halted funding for NICH, JPMC, and NICVD.
Serving as Finance Minister at the time, Mr Shah and the Finance Secretary approached the then-Chief Minister, and on July 7th, the Sindh government took the decisive step to approve a new budget for all three institutions. This was a turning point. At the time of transfer, the combined annual budget for these hospitals was just Rs. 1.9 billion. Today, Chief Minister Shah proudly announced that the budget has increased to a colossal Rs. 40 billion, demonstrating the province’s dedication to tertiary healthcare.
Philanthropy drives remarkable growth
A significant part of the Chief Minister’s speech was dedicated to acknowledging philanthropy’s pivotal role. He praised the chief executives of the three hospitals, past and present, for managing this growth well, and paid special tribute to the Patient Aid Foundation.
Mr. Shah recalled being invited to Jinnah Hospital in 2017, where Mr Chhapra requested government support. The Chief Minister made a firm commitment: the Sindh government would match every rupee the foundation collected. He expressed satisfaction that philanthropists are now raising more money than the government is matching, often requesting less than they are entitled to.
Recent examples show the foundation collected $20 million for an Emergency Tower at Jinnah Hospital but only asked the government for $15 million of the matching funds.
World-class bed capacity
CM Murad Shah highlighted the exponential growth in hospital capacity. Just 12 years ago, JPMC, NICVD, and NICH had a total of 2,000 beds. That number has since doubled to 4,000, and he ambitiously projected that by 2028, it will reach 5,000 beds.
To put this in perspective, he noted that the largest hospital in the United States has 2,800 beds, and in the United Kingdom, the largest has 2,200 beds, positioning Sindh’s hospitals among the largest in the world. He expressed gratitude to all benefactors, especially mentioning Sardar Yasin, and shared a humorous interaction with Shahid Abdullah, whom he jokingly said has given him “big lectures” despite his claims.
Karachi: a hub for opportunity
Concluding his address, the Chief Minister shared an anecdote from a recent meeting in Islamabad with representatives from all provinces. He noted that a representative from another province attributed the migration of people to Karachi to poor infrastructure in their region.
CM Shah acknowledged that while Karachi does face challenges, it has both the infrastructure and opportunities. He affirmed that the government is fully committed to further improving this infrastructure and will deliver on this promise.
The Directorate of Immigration and Passports has facilitated citizens by introducing an online passport application process through the e-Services Portal.
Citizens can now apply for their Pakistan passports online without waiting in long queues. In a video posted on social media, the Passport Department informed the public that they can visit the official website www.onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk to submit an online passport renewal application.
The video further explains that if a user already has a registered account, they should click on the login button.
If not, new users must click on the register button, fill out the registration form with all required details, and ensure that the correct mobile number and email address are provided.
After entering the information, users must type in the verification code and click ‘Next’.
A verification link will then be sent to the user’s email. After clicking the link and entering the verification code, registration will be completed.
The user can then log in using their email and password.
Additional details were provided regarding the process of submitting a new application. Users can choose from five available options based on their requirement.
It is important to note that for online Pakistan passport renewal, the passport must have less than one year of validity remaining. Major changes — such as name or occupation updates — are not permitted through the online system.
Furthermore, applicants can select their nearest passport office from a drop-down menu, ensuring they do not have to travel long distances if a visit to the office becomes necessary.
The video also explains the type of photograph required for both men and women when applying online.
Applicants were advised that the uploaded file size must not exceed 1 MB, and all documents must be uploaded in PNG, JPG, or JPEG formats.