KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved a Grant-in-Aid of Rs 15.5 billion to support the operational affairs of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). The decision was made during the 84th Governing Body meeting of NICVD, chaired by the Chief Minister and attended by Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, and senior officials.
Financial Crisis and Funding Gap The Chief Minister was informed that while the Sindh government has approved Rs 10 billion so far, the institute faces a total deficit of Rs 4.6 billion due to rising administrative and service costs. CM Murad Ali Shah emphasized that NICVD requires an additional Rs 3.5 billion immediately for the 2025-26 fiscal year to bridge this funding gap.
Administrative Reforms and New Appointments To ensure transparency, the Chief Minister approved the immediate appointment of a Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) through a competitive process from the open market. The CM directed the removal of legal ambiguities to ensure the institution continues its public service without interruption and ordered the finalization of KPMG’s appointment to oversee administrative reforms.
Performance Highlights During the briefing, the Chief Minister lauded NICVD’s achievements, noting that the Karachi center performed 9,925 primary angioplasties in 2024, maintaining its status as the world’s largest primary angioplasty center. The institute also performed over 200 TAVI procedures free of charge, which typically cost Rs 4 million in private sectors. Furthermore, NICVD has extended pediatric cardiac services to Balochistan for the first time.
ZAB Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases: The CM reviewed progress on the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Landhi. Once completed, this 1,200-bed facility is set to become the largest cardiac hospital in the world. Additionally, the Sindh government has requested a comprehensive Business Plan for the merger of NICVD and the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD) to streamline cardiac care.
