Sindh govt ahead of federal govt in providing healthcare facilities: Murtaza Wahab

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-CM’s adviser seeks Sindh’s withheld Rs92 billion

KARACHI: Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister (CM) on Information, Law and Anticorruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Tuesday said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led Sindh government is way ahead of the federal government in providing quality healthcare facilities to the masses.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 8th Chest Pain Unit (CPU) of NICVD at Landhi no 3 ½ here on Tuesday. Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, NICVD Executive Director (ED) Professor Nadeem Qamar, Amin Hashwani, eminent cardiologist Professor Nadeem Hassan Rizvi, and other senior physicians and officials were also present on the occasion.

“Unlike the federal government, that believes in making healthcare unaffordable by increasing prices of medicines, the PPP-led Sindh government provides quality healthcare facilities to people, a fact evident by the establishment of Satellite Centers and CPUs of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in the province,” said the Sindh CM’s advisor.

In the second phase of its Chest Pain Unit Programme in Karachi, NICVD has established its 8th CPU in the Landhi area of the city to provide immediate relief and first aid in case of a heart attack before being shifted to the main NICVD for further intervention.

“During the last year, seven CPUs of the NICVD saved over 5,000 lives of people who were having heart attacks while over 150,000 people approached these CPUs and were given first aid and medical advice”, Murtaza said while adding that NICVD was planning to establish eight more such CPUs in different areas of the city so that more lives could be saved.

“Now instead of coming to Karachi, a resident of Ghotki goes to NICVD Sukkur for Angioplasty and bypass surgery, people living in and around Larkana avail cardiac treatment at their own city while people of Tharparkar avail quality cardiac treatment at Mithi instead of rushing to Karachi”, he said while speaking about the expansion of this facility to the entire Sindh province.

The Sindh CM’s advisor claimed that when NICVD was devolved to the provincial government, its annual budget was Rs700 but has now been enhanced to Rs14 billion rupees, becoming a model institution where people from the entire country come for treatment.

He further revealed that NICVD’s network was being expanded outside Sindh and land was being acquired for the purpose in another province. “Announcement of the name of the province where this satellite centre to be established outside Sindh would be made by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari”, he informed.

Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar thanked the Sindh government and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for expanding state-of-the-art cardiac care facilities. “NICVD is one of the best healthcare facilities in Pakistan. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) would do whatever possible to support and expand this institution,” Waseem Akhtar announced.

NICVD Executive Director Professor Nadeem Qamar said that NICVD had transformed into one of the best cardiac healthcare facilities of the world during the last four years.

Later, talking to media persons at Sindh Assembly premises, Murtaza Wahab said that the federal government should release the withheld amount of Rs92 billion if it was sincere to the people of Sindh province.

He said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was duly elected by the people of the province, so elements demanding his resignation must wait for 2023. “The chief minister is committed to serving the people of the province and moreover he is not a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker that he will resign on any advice,” Murtaza said.

He said that viceroy from Islamabad would not be able to do something, adding that all conspiracies against elected Sindh regime were bound to fail.

The Sindh CM’s advisor brushed aside all speculations on the formation of a forward group. He further said that people of the country would soon have emancipation from the incompetent federal government.