NICVD expands its services in Karachi

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) has made operational its 10th Chest Unit in Karachi which is housed at 11-G, Godhra Colony, New Karachi. 

The containerized unit was formally inaugurated by Sindh Information Minister, Saeed Ghani, at a ceremony held at the container site. 

It was the 14th setup in Sindh as part of the NICVD’s plan to provide immediate and initial relief to a patient suffering from heart problem before being shifted to the main hospital for treatment.

Besides the Minister, the Executive Director of the NICVD, Nadeem Qamar, Farooq Khatuda. President Godhra Muhammadi Anjuman, Siraj Chunkla, President Godhra Sheikh Muslim Anjuman 11-G, Sultan Kharadi, President 11-F, Sheheryar Bhagat, General Secretary, Dr Amin Kharadi, and other officials were also present on the occasion. 

Saeed Ghani, in his speech, remarked that the Sindh Government planned to set up more such centres not only in Karachi but also elsewhere in the province.

He informed that over 2.84 lac patients had benefitted from these units in Karachi alone so far and of them there were 6,800 such patients these units proved life savers. 

He pointed out that ever since 2011, when the Sindh Government took management of NICVD, and the manner in which the cardiac patients were being provided free of cost treatment, no other province could match this service. 

The Minister added that besides Karachi, the Sindh Government has set up heart hospitals in seven cities of Sindh and it was in the process of introducing more improvement in the health sector.

Referring to shortage of dog bite vaccine, he said that not only Sindh, but this vaccine is short in the entire country because of their non-availability from China and India. 

In Sindh, he stated, the government was meeting vaccine shortage by buying it from the market at premium rates. 

He said that the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and other KMC or DMC hospitals were responsible for arranging the vaccine, but the Sindh government was helping them and will continue doing so.

The Minister pledged that the provincial government remained committed to serving the cause of the people in urban as well as rural areas.