
Mother, child hospital gift of Japan to Sindh's people: envoy
"Today, every child in Sindh is within a 30-minute reach of emergency care," the CM said at the inaugural of the new 128-bed facility at Liaquat University Hospital in Jamshoro. "This was unthinkable just a few years ago."
Japanese Ambassador Shoichi Okamoto and Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho were also present on the occasion. Construction of the hospital, which has expanded the LUH's total number of beds to 856, began in July, 2018.
It has been completed with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) after a span of seven years at the cost of Rs331 million. The facility will, however, open its doors for the patients after a week. The CM acknowledged Japanese ambassador Okamoto and JICA for their consistent support in Sindh's healthcare reforms, especially during challenging times.
A new maternal and child health center has opened at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) at Jamsho, the regional hub hospital in Hyderabad, with a Japanese grant of about 4.1 billion yen.
The center includes obstetrics and pediatrics departments, a labor room, obstetrics ward, neonatal and maternal-fetal intensive care units, a laboratory, and outpatient consultation rooms, along with medical equipment like incubators and ultrasound devices. This project will benefit around 3.5 million people living in Hyderabad and Jamshoro. Japanese Ambasador Shuichi Akamatsu said: "This facility will bring medical services closer to home and provides mothers and babies with the timely and quality healthcare they deserve. We strongly hope that this new center will be effectively utilized in a sustainable manner."
JICA Pakistan Chief Naoaki Miyata said that this project will achieve its goal of reducing the mother and child mortality and better accessibility to quality health care services.
CM meets US Chargé d'Affaires
CM Murad Ali Shah and the US Chargé d'Affaires Elizabeth Horst in a meeting on Friday reviewed completed initiatives and explored future collaboration opportunities in the fields of education, water and sanitation, health, climate resilience, and municipal services. He sought co-financing with USAID for constructing new Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centres (RHCs), and Mother & Child Health Centres in underserved areas.
Horst acknowledged the Sindh government's proactive role and reiterated the US' commitment to supporting Pakistan's sustainable development.
World Bank team
CM Murad met with a high-level World Bank delegation led by Regional VP Ousmane Dione to discuss ongoing development projects worth $4.012 billion. He presented a zone-specific WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) strategy based on climate and water availability. It uses AI mapping, drone surveys, and geo-tagging to design solutions across six zones. Treated wastewater will support mini forests and livelihoods.
Murad flagged project delays due to the absence of a dedicated procurement specialist in Karachi following Uzma Sadaf's passing. He urged the bank to fill the vacancy and expedite processes.
He requested an additional $170 million for the Karachi Urban Mobility Project (KUMP) and urged quick approval of the Project Operations Manual for KWSSIP-II before the August 2025 deadline. Extensions were also sought for SELECT (until April 2027) and Social Protection Delivery projects (until December 2028).
The World Bank delegation, including Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, acknowledged the concerns and reaffirmed support for Sindh's development priorities.

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Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
CM inaugurates ‘Mother and Child Health Centre' at LU Jamshoro
HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday inaugurated the newly built Mother and Child Health Centre at Liaquat University, Jamshoro as major step forward in the province's efforts to improve maternal and child healthcare. The project, completed with the generous support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), was hailed as a symbol of enduring friendship between Sindh and Japan. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Minister described the facility as 'a beacon of hope and a new dawn for maternal and child health,' and expressed deep gratitude to the Government and people of Japan. 'This hospital is not just a building of bricks and mortar,' he said, 'It is a statement of compassion, progress, and our shared vision for healthier generations.' The hospital project, which began construction in July 2018, was completed under the Annual Development Programme 2025–26 for Rs. 331 million. It adds 128 beds, bringing the total bed capacity of Liaquat University Hospital to 856, and is fully equipped with modern medical equipment and staff training programs to provide round-the-clock maternal and child health services. It will officially become operational next week, serving families across Hyderabad Division and beyond. The Chief Minister acknowledged the Ambassador of Japan, Shoichi Okamoto, and JICA for their consistent support in Sindh's healthcare reforms, especially during challenging times. He called the project 'a success story of international collaboration that will strengthen our system for generations.' Expanding Healthcare network: Highlighting the government's broader healthcare strategy, Murad Ali Shah announced the establishment of four new Satellite Healthcare Centres in Shahdadpur, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Sujawal, and Mirpur Mathelo. These facilities will extend 24/7 maternal and neonatal care to underserved areas, ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible to all segments of society. Shah also emphasised the role of mobile health units and telemedicine in reaching remote communities, calling them 'lifelines for families who were once hours away from care.' The CM said that the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) was spotlighted as a key achievement. Since its inception, SICHN has expanded from Karachi into a province-wide network offering one of the world's largest public neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) systems with over 262 incubators. It may be noted that the institute now treats over 500,000 children annually with a 91 per cent survival rate. Infant mortality in Sindh has declined from 54 deaths per 1,000 live births to 29, a dramatic and verifiable improvement. 'Today, every child in Sindh is within a 30-minute reach of emergency care,' the Chief Minister said, noting that this was unthinkable just a few years ago. Shah praised the ChildLife Foundation for partnering with the government to operate neonatal units in every Taluka hospital, and proudly remarked that SICHN rivals private hospitals in terms of infrastructure and patient outcomes. Murad Ali Shah also highlighted other transformative steps in Sindh's public health sector, including liver transplants at the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Kidney transplants at SIUT, and Cancer treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where each patient receives treatment worth approximately $100,000, fully funded by the Sindh government. 'These are not just hospitals,' the CM said. 'They are promises fulfilled - lifelines for future generations.' Referring to challenges arising after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the Chief Minister criticised attempts by the federal government to reclaim certain health institutions. 'Health is a provincial subject now,' he said, vowing to protect Sindh's jurisdiction and services from 'encroachments and land grabbers.' The Chief Minister concluded by thanking Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho for her leadership in transforming Sindh's healthcare system. He reaffirmed the government's commitment: 'The birth of a child should always be a moment of hope, not fear. Our mission is to ensure that no mother dies during childbirth, and every child receives the healthy start in life they deserve,' the CM said. Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal, addressing the ceremony, said, 'These are not just hospitals,' the CM said. 'They are promises fulfilled - lifelines for future generations.' Ambassador of Japan, Shoichi Okamoto, speaking on the occasion, said that the health facility was a gift from Japan to the people of Hyderabad Division. The ceremony ended with strong calls for continued collaboration between Sindh and Japan, reinforcing a shared dedication to human dignity, equity, and the well-being of every mother and child in the province. Those who spoke on the occasion: Health Secretary Rehan Baloch and Executive Director SICHN Prof Jamal Raza. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025


Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Mother, child hospital gift of Japan to Sindh's people: envoy
The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who inaugurated a mother and child health facility in Jamshoro district on Friday, has boasted that emergency pediatric healthcare units presently existed within 30 minutes reach in the province. "Today, every child in Sindh is within a 30-minute reach of emergency care," the CM said at the inaugural of the new 128-bed facility at Liaquat University Hospital in Jamshoro. "This was unthinkable just a few years ago." Japanese Ambassador Shoichi Okamoto and Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho were also present on the occasion. Construction of the hospital, which has expanded the LUH's total number of beds to 856, began in July, 2018. It has been completed with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) after a span of seven years at the cost of Rs331 million. The facility will, however, open its doors for the patients after a week. The CM acknowledged Japanese ambassador Okamoto and JICA for their consistent support in Sindh's healthcare reforms, especially during challenging times. A new maternal and child health center has opened at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) at Jamsho, the regional hub hospital in Hyderabad, with a Japanese grant of about 4.1 billion yen. The center includes obstetrics and pediatrics departments, a labor room, obstetrics ward, neonatal and maternal-fetal intensive care units, a laboratory, and outpatient consultation rooms, along with medical equipment like incubators and ultrasound devices. This project will benefit around 3.5 million people living in Hyderabad and Jamshoro. Japanese Ambasador Shuichi Akamatsu said: "This facility will bring medical services closer to home and provides mothers and babies with the timely and quality healthcare they deserve. We strongly hope that this new center will be effectively utilized in a sustainable manner." JICA Pakistan Chief Naoaki Miyata said that this project will achieve its goal of reducing the mother and child mortality and better accessibility to quality health care services. CM meets US Chargé d'Affaires CM Murad Ali Shah and the US Chargé d'Affaires Elizabeth Horst in a meeting on Friday reviewed completed initiatives and explored future collaboration opportunities in the fields of education, water and sanitation, health, climate resilience, and municipal services. He sought co-financing with USAID for constructing new Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centres (RHCs), and Mother & Child Health Centres in underserved areas. Horst acknowledged the Sindh government's proactive role and reiterated the US' commitment to supporting Pakistan's sustainable development. World Bank team CM Murad met with a high-level World Bank delegation led by Regional VP Ousmane Dione to discuss ongoing development projects worth $4.012 billion. He presented a zone-specific WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) strategy based on climate and water availability. It uses AI mapping, drone surveys, and geo-tagging to design solutions across six zones. Treated wastewater will support mini forests and livelihoods. Murad flagged project delays due to the absence of a dedicated procurement specialist in Karachi following Uzma Sadaf's passing. He urged the bank to fill the vacancy and expedite processes. He requested an additional $170 million for the Karachi Urban Mobility Project (KUMP) and urged quick approval of the Project Operations Manual for KWSSIP-II before the August 2025 deadline. Extensions were also sought for SELECT (until April 2027) and Social Protection Delivery projects (until December 2028). The World Bank delegation, including Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, acknowledged the concerns and reaffirmed support for Sindh's development priorities.


Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Pokémon Sleep boosts Japan's average sleep by 32 Minutes in two years
Pokémon Sleep is making a measurable difference to sleep habits in Japan, with users gaining an additional 32 minutes of rest each night since the app's launch two years ago. During Pokémon Sleep's second anniversary event in Tokyo on July 16, The Pokémon Company shared that Japanese users now average seven hours and ten minutes of sleep per night, up from six hours and 38 minutes the previous year. The data, reported by Automaton, highlights the app's positive effect. However, Japan still ranks last in average sleep among seven tracked regions, including Germany, the UK, France, Canada, the US, and Italy. Sleep deprivation has been a persistent issue in Japan, where adults typically sleep just over six hours per night, falling short of recommended levels for maintaining good health. A government-backed study cited by The Japan Times found that while most workers recognise the need for at least six hours of sleep, only half achieve that consistently. Pokémon Sleep encourages healthier routines by rewarding users with in-game Pokémon based on their sleep duration and consistency. Players are categorised into 'Dozing,' 'Snoozing,' or 'Slumbering' based on their rest patterns, receiving rewards for meeting recommended targets. Since its launch in July 2023, Pokémon Sleep has become the most downloaded gamified sleep app, achieving a Guinness World Record in June 2025 with over 14.9 million downloads.