KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday inaugurated a new block at Jinnah Hospital Karachi, highlighting Sindh’s progress in the health sector and reaffirming the importance of provincial autonomy under the 18th Amendment.
Addressing the ceremony, Bilawal said the PPP was committed to providing quality and free healthcare to citizens, adding that institutions such as the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) had become global benchmarks.
“NICVD has built the largest cardiac treatment network in the world and delivers care that meets international standards,” he said, noting that the institute had expanded to Sukkur and Hyderabad as well.
Bilawal speaks of improved performance of healthcare sector in Sindh
Bilawal credited the 18th Amendment for allowing provinces to improve service delivery, saying the devolution of resources to provinces “was not a mistake” and that NICVD stood as a prime example of successful provincial management.
He urged the federal government to delegate more responsibilities to the provinces, stating that some federal ministers were advocating for reversing provincial powers. “Provinces should have the right to collect taxes so they can strengthen the federation,” he said, adding that any province failing to meet its tax targets should compensate from its share.
Bilawal criticised federal institutions for consistently missing their revenue targets and argued that empowering provinces was a “viable proposal” for national progress.
He also took a dig at a former prime minister, saying, “He used to go from city to city claiming the country was bankrupt.”
Bilawal said Sindh had proved its capability by running NICVD more efficiently than the federal government and noted that the health department had been performing strongly since becoming a provincial responsibility after the 18th Amendment.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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