Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah with the assistance of Korean government has approved establishment of a 200-bed children hospital in Sukkur at a cost of $57.274 million.

He also approved reconstruction of Chandka Medical College (CMC) hospital Larkana and DHQ Sujawal for which Korean government has committed to provide a $300 million soft loan.

This decision was made in a meeting held between Sindh government led by the chief minister and Korean Exim Bank delegation headed by DG Exim Bank UM Sung Young, Senior Officer, Koh Myungseong and Administrative Secretary Saud Hussain Kahlon. The chief minister was assisted by Minister Health Dr Azra Pechuho, Chairperson P&D Nahid Shah, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Education Ahsan Mangi, Secretary Health Zahid Memon and Special Secretary Health Dr Dabir.

The Sindh government has approved a scheme of establishment of Children Health Care Institute Sukkur. The scheme was approved by CDWP and ECNEC in 2015 and then the project was halted for want of funds. The Sindh government negotiated with Korean government which has provided a soft loan of $46 million and the provincial government has allocated Rs162.792 million. In this way the total cost of the project would be around Rs5 billion, if it is made in Pak rupees.

The hospital would be established over an area of 27 acre at Airport road Sukkur. There would be a Neonatal Care Unit (NCU), Emergency Blood Transfusion Unit, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Paediatric Surgeries and OT department, efficient Patient Transportation System, Blood transfusion unit, enhancement of paediatric special medical services, special OPD for ophthalmology and ENT.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019