Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved a comprehensive four-year health improvement plan (2025-2029) with a major focus on increasing routine immunisation coverage from 69 percent to 95 percent, expanding community outreach, and enhancing governance in the province’s healthcare sector.
The plan includes recruiting thousands of health workers, introducing new vaccines, and strengthening cold chain infrastructure to improve immunisation rates, which remain critically low.
During a high-level meeting at the CM House, Shah reviewed key performance indicators of the health department, and set ambitious targets to ensure universal access to quality and affordable health care, particularly for women and children.
The meeting was informed that Sindh’s routine immunisation coverage stands at just 69 percent, which is far below the required threshold for disease prevention. To achieve the target of 95 percent, the government plans to recruit 5,500 lady health workers and community health workers by 2025-26. These workers will be provided with 5,250 medical kits and IT equipment, including mobile phones with GPS tracking.
Additionally, 3,500 vaccinators and technical staff, such as cold chain engineers and software engineers, will be recruited. This initiative will supply 21,084 pieces of equipment, including temperature monitoring devices, fridge tags, mobile phones, SIM cards and motorbikes.
A key component of the plan is the introduction of the HPV vaccine, which aims for 2.8 million vaccinations by 2028-29, supported by improvements in cold chain and waste management, including solarisation at 35 divisional centres.
The CM also approved the establishment of 11 additional nutrition stabilisation centres and 714 new outpatient therapeutic programme sites by 2025-26. This initiative aims to treat 1.24 million malnourished children under five years old.
Nutrition services will include ready-to-use therapeutic food, and F-75 and F-100 supplements, with operational support extended to 17 stabilisation centres. The prevention strategy will include deworming, iron and folic acid supplementation, and breastfeeding counselling for mothers and adolescent girls. Over the next 30 months, 1,440 awareness sessions will be conducted, with 360 targeted for the 2025-26 period.
To address the rising cases of diabetes, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases, Shah decided that screening units would be set up at secondary-level health facilities.
Early detection services will be expanded to basic health units, aiming to screen 350 facilities in 2025-26. This initiative also includes eight training-of-trainers sessions and 158 district-level training programmes. Additionally, 1,440 screening camps will be held across the province by 2028-29.
A robust monitoring & evaluation system will be implemented, increasing health facility visits to 48,000 annually. A live dashboard will be established in 40 districts for real-time data tracking. The rollout of the Health Management Information System through DHIS-2 will enhance data-driven decision-making, with 900 IT devices procured for timely reporting.
The CM approved a large-scale maintenance & repair project covering tertiary-, secondary- and primary-level hospitals. Over 109 tertiary hospitals, 91 secondary hospitals and 572 primary health units will be rehabilitated, with 122 primary facilities scheduled for 2025-26.
He also approved the construction of two new towers, medical and surgery, at Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi. To address the shortage of nursing professionals, he approved the introduction of evening shifts at 20 nursing colleges, creating 443 new teaching and non-teaching positions.
A stipend programme for 1,125 BS Nursing students was also approved. Infrastructure development will include the establishment of 10 new science labs, rehabilitation of 10 nursing colleges, and procurement of 20 vehicles for student mobility and community outreach programmes.
Shah reiterated his commitment to improving healthcare services in Sindh by ensuring universal health coverage, strengthening community-based health interventions, and modernising governance mechanisms. These ambitious initiatives are expected to enhance health outcomes, particularly for women and children, while creating a more resilient and responsive healthcare system in the province.
Published in News Daily on 07-March-2025.