Sindh’s maternal and child healthcare system marked a major milestone on Friday with the inauguration of a 128-bed Mother and Child Health Centre at Liaquat University, Jamshoro.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah described the new facility as a testament to Sindh’s commitment to maternal and neonatal health and a shining example of international cooperation.
The hospital was constructed with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), symbolizing what the CM called a “beacon of hope and a new dawn for maternal and child health.”
The facility, built at a cost of Rs331 million under the Annual Development Programme, adds significant capacity to the Liaquat University Hospital, raising its total beds to 856. Fully equipped with modern medical technology and trained staff, the hospital is set to begin operations next week and will serve families across the Hyderabad Division. The Chief Minister expressed deep gratitude to the people and government of Japan, specifically acknowledging Ambassador Shoichi Okamoto and JICA for their unwavering support. He called the project a “success story of international collaboration that will strengthen our system for generations.”
Extending the government’s healthcare outreach, Murad Ali Shah also announced the creation of four new satellite healthcare centers in Shahdadpur, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Sujawal, and Mirpur Mathelo. These will offer round-the-clock maternal and neonatal services in remote areas.
He emphasized the vital role of mobile health units and telemedicine in ensuring no family remains beyond the reach of emergency care, referring to these services as “lifelines” for previously neglected communities.
The Chief Minister hailed the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) as a landmark achievement in pediatric care. From its origins in Karachi, SICHN has expanded into a provincial network now home to one of the world’s largest public neonatal intensive care unit systems, housing over 262 incubators. The institute now treats more than half a million children annually and boasts a 91 percent survival rate. Infant mortality in Sindh has seen a marked decline, dropping from 54 deaths per 1,000 live births to just 29—a result the CM called “dramatic and verifiable.”
Murad Ali Shah also credited the ChildLife Foundation for its partnership in operating neonatal units across every Taluka hospital in Sindh, and noted with pride that SICHN’s quality of care matches private sector hospitals. He further highlighted critical services now available across the province, including liver transplants at the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences, kidney transplants at SIUT, and comprehensive cancer treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
At JPMC alone, each cancer patient receives nearly $100,000 worth of treatment, fully funded by the provincial government. “These are not just hospitals,” said the Chief Minister. “They are promises fulfilled—lifelines for future generations.” He also took aim at federal government attempts to reassert control over certain health institutions, warning that Sindh’s constitutional jurisdiction over healthcare would be firmly defended.
“Health is a provincial subject now,” he declared, rejecting what he termed “encroachments and land grabbers.” Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, in her remarks, underscored the transformative shift in healthcare delivery and reaffirmed the government’s pledge to protect every mother and child. “The birth of a child should always be a moment of hope, not fear,” the Chief Minister said.
“Our mission is to ensure no mother dies during childbirth and every child receives the healthy start they deserve.” Japanese Ambassador Shoichi Okamoto called the new facility a “gift from Japan to the people of Hyderabad Division,” reflecting Japan’s long-term investment in the well-being of Pakistan’s citizens. The event concluded with renewed commitments from both sides to continue strengthening their partnership in health, equity, and human dignity. Also addressing the event were Health Secretary Rehan Baloch and Executive Director of SICHN Professor Jamal Raza.
