Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated a state-of-the-art Mother and Child Healthcare Centre at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS), marking a major milestone in maternal and child health services and celebrating the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Japan.
The 128-bed centre, built with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), increases LUMHS’s total capacity to 856 beds. Constructed under the Annual Development Programme 2025–26 at a cost of Rs.331 million, the facility is equipped with modern diagnostic and treatment technology, alongside training programmes to ensure round-the-clock services. The centre will begin operations next week, serving families from Hyderabad Division and beyond.
Calling the hospital – a beacon of hope and a new dawn for maternal and child health, Syed Murad Ali Shah thanked Japan for its support. He said that this is not just bricks and mortar; it is a statement of compassion, progress, and our shared vision for healthier generations. He also announced the establishment of four new satellite healthcare centres in Shahdadpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Sujawal, and Mirpur Mathelo to expand 24/7 maternal and neonatal care to underserved regions. Mobile health units and telemedicine, he added, were now bridging distances for families who previously had little access to care.
Highlighting the province’s progress, Syed Murad Ali Shah praised the Sindh Institute of Child Health & Neonatology, which treats over half a million children annually and operates one of the world’s largest public neonatal intensive care unit networks with 262 incubators and a 91% survival rate. Infant mortality in Sindh, he noted, has declined from 54 to 29 deaths per 1,000 live births. He further cited pioneering initiatives such as liver transplants at the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences, kidney transplants at SIUT, and cancer treatment at JPMC — all offered free of cost, with treatment worth up to $100,000 per patient funded by the provincial government.
Criticising federal efforts to regain control of certain health institutions, Syed Murad Ali Shah reaffirmed that health is a provincial mandate and vowed to protect Sindh’s jurisdiction. He also lauded the leadership of Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho.
Earlier, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi met Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon and Mayor Kashif Ali Shoro to discuss future collaboration. He hailed the new healthcare centre as a model of impactful partnership and praised the deep goodwill between the people of Japan and Pakistan.
Zainul Abedin Memon briefed the ambassador on ongoing development initiatives in Hyderabad, including hospital upgrades, road improvements, and water supply projects. Both sides expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation, particularly in maternal and child health and clean water provision, reaffirming their commitment to work together for a healthier, better-served Hyderabad.