4 days ago
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.
