CM approves Rs520m for paediatric cardiac unit at NICVD

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved an additional fund of Rs520 million to establish a paediatric cardiac unit on two floors of an under-construction building at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).

He took the decision while presiding over the 82nd Governing Body meeting of the NICVD at the CM House. He issued on the occasion directives for expediting the construction work.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, MPAs Sadiya Javed and Rukhsana Parveen, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary to the CM Raheem Shaikh, Health Secretary Rehan Baloch, NICVD Executive Director Dr Tahir Saghir and others.

Considering the heavy workload due to paediatric cardiac patients, the governing body decided that two floors of the new building would be dedicated to the paediatric cardiac treatment. The CM approved an additional Rs520 million to make both floors functional.

MRI Machine

The governing body was informed that the procurement of MRI machines costing Rs628.3 million had been approved for the current financial year, 2023-2024, to facilitate the Stroke Intervention Program. The MRI machine was purchased to evaluate cardiac masses, conduct cardiomyopathy workup viability studies and perform ischemic stroke evaluations on brain MRI for both cardiac and brain imaging, along with other cardiac and non-cardiac conditions. However, the meeting was told that the funds had not yet been released. The CM directed the finance department to release the funds immediately.

Budget

The Sindh government approved Rs8 billion as a grant-in-aid/budget for the NICVD for the financial year 2023-24. It was said that the NICVD's overall expenditures had increased owing to significant inflation over the past two years, substantial escalation of dollar-based costs, stroke intervention programmes and increased expenses related to employees.

The NICVD executive director proposed to the CM that the grant-in-aid/budget for the year 2024-2025 be increased. The CM directed the health minister and finance secretary to assess and evaluate the NICVD’s needs and send him their recommendations for approval.

The board also approved the appointment of Dr Tahir Saghir as the NICVD executive director. Shah directed the NICVD administration to develop a patient-wise treatment tracking system to track or identify all expenditures, including tests, procedures, and medicines. He added that this system would facilitate easy auditing and allow for a more scientific preparation of the NICVD budget.