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
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