Karachi, March 20, 2023 (PPI-OT):Chairman Pakistan People’s Party and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari laid the foundation of the world’s largest 1200-bed cardiovascular hospital i.e. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (ZABICVD), in Karachi’s Korangi district where all treatment will be completely free. The 10-storey hospital building will have 7 sections on 2.4 million square feet. Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, the hospital will also have 16 small operation theatres, 18 cardiac labs, 2 MRI labs and 4 CT labs.
Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony, he said that Pakistan is going through an economic, political and constitutional crisis. The politicians of hatred, division and bullying are requested to shun their undemocratic behaviour and participate in the development of the country. PPP Chairman said that the new free heart treatment hospitals are being established adding there is no hospital in the whole world that can treat this number of patients for free.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, NICVD Karachi was handed over to the Sindh government in the year 2015, and now this institution has become the world’s largest free heart disease hospital. He said that NICVD Sukkur is the largest hospital after NICVD Karachi, while there are satellite centers associated with this institution in Hyderabad and Larkana as well as in Tando Muhammad Khan, Sehwan, Nawabshah, Mithi and Khairpur. Seventeen chest pan units are functioning in Karachi, while such units are also functional in Ghotki, Tando Bago, Jacobabad, Umerkot, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas and Shikarpur.
He further said that PPP is of the opinion that money should not be an obstacle in the treatment of a citizen adding that NICVD Hospital of Sindh is ready to compete with any hospital in India and Europe. He said that for the past 15 years, a few people have been busy on targeting the Sindh government and are questioning what has PPP done? So NICVD is a hammering answer to these opponents. He said that those 70-year-old politicians who say that their struggle spanned 30 years and claiming rivers of milk and honey flowed during their rule but not a single hospital like NICVD was established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces where they ruled. “I am 30 years old and in a short period of time I have made the world’s largest hospital for free treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that at present inflation, unemployment and poverty are on the rise and in these conditions, this is a gift for the people of the entire country including Sindh province. He pointed out that more than one lakh patients from other provinces have benefited through getting free of cost medical treatment in the hospitals built by the Sindh government. Medical treatment in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is only for money while in Sindh free treatment is provided to serve humanity.
He offered to Federal Minister Health Abdul Qadir Patel and said that if the federal government wants, a set of NICVD light centers can be established in Islamabad within 6 months. PPP Chairman said that Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, there is a scam going on in the name of Health Card, where public money was being given to private insurance companies instead of spending on hospitals. He said that the political fighting should be in parliament or in elections and emphasized that some political parties should leave the politics of lies, hatred and threats of bullying adding that such politicians’ role in the destruction of Pakistan is a part of history.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Sindh is being deprived of local bodies representatives. PPP was accused of not wanting local elections, but now who is stopping this system from moving forward? He said that we have held the local body elections and now who is stopping the election of the Mayor. Some elements are hindering the election of a PPP Mayor and our now our mandate is being robbed off.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has given a date of April 18 during the month of Ramadan for the by-elections of local bodies in Sindh and said that the local bodies will elect their heads on April 30. He said that we reject such a decision of the ECP and asked Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Law Minister Murtaza Wahab to immediately approach the Sindh High Court against the schedule issued by the ECP.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed concerns over the ongoing digital census in the country and added that we have drawn a red line on this matter. On this occasion, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Patel and Provincial Health Minister Dr. Ezra Fazal Pechuho besides provincial ministers, assembly members and other leaders were also present.
For more information, contact:
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