Staff Reporter
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved release of Rs600 million to National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) of last financial year so that they could start their pediatric wards.
He took this decision on Thursday while presiding over a meeting to resolve all the outstanding issues of NICVD, said a statement.
The meeting was attended by Minister Health Dr Azra Pechuho, PSCH Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Health Saeed Awan, Executive Director NICVD Dr Nadeem Qamar and other concerned officers of finance department.
The Executive Director NICVD told the chief minister that the NICVD Karachi had provided treatment to 640,212 patients in 2015. In 2016 it increased to 729,468 patients, and went upto 123,633 in 2019.
He said that now NIVCD has also established its eight Chest Pain Centers and 10 Satellites where, including NICVD Karachi 1,111,145 patients were given treatment by June 2019.
He said that in Pakistan every year 40,000 children were born with heart diseases and the NICVD has the capacity of giving treatment to 60,000 patients every years.
At this the chief minister said it meant the NICVD was proving treatment to entire Pakistan and to the patients of neighbouring country, Afghanistan.
The chief minister directed Secretary Health to move a summary for constitution of new board of governing body for the NICVD.
He also directed Executive Director NICVD to help establishing a cardiac unit in every DHQ. “Now I do not want to establish more Satellites of the NICVD, therefore every DHQ must have its string, efficient and well equipped Cardiac Unit,” he said.
The chief minister also said that as per request of the NICVD an additional grant of over Rs 3 billion would be provided for Nawabshah, Mithi, Khairpur and Lyari.
He directed Executive Director NICVD to conduct audit of its accounts.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in consultation with relevant experts approved the alignment of Ghotki-Kadhkot Bridge located 60 kilometers upstream of Sukkur Barrage.
He made this decision on Thursday while presiding over a high-level joint meeting of Irrigation, Water Experts, Consultants, Works Department Engineers and Stakeholders/Locals of Kandhkot-Kashmore District here at Chief Minister House, said a statement.
The meeting was told that the first hydraulic study was conducted at Irrigation Research Institute, Nadipur Lab on March 28, 2018.
The Irrigation department had expressed reservations on bridge location which was given in the RFP and subsequently in the concession agreement.
The Irrigation department proposed a new location which was about 14 kilometers upstream from the original bridge.
The chief minister constituted a joint expert committee of officials from NED University, Mehran University, Irrigation department and Works & Services department with the task to evaluate the bridge location options and recommend the most suitable location.
The joint expert committee after detailed deliberations recommended the original location as per RFP.
The Works & Services Department signed Concession Agreement in May 2018 with a private company, SPV which has created Ghotki-Kandhkot Road and Bridge Company (Pvt) limited.
The concessioner submitted Hydraulic Model study from Nadipur Lab to Works & Services department based on final proposed location for further action.
The model study proposed the bridge for two kilometers. The total width of River at that place is nine kilometers. It means there would be a four-lane two kilometers long bridge and five kilometers approaching roads on both sides.
