HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on 25-July-2025 inaugurated a newly built mother & child healthcare centre at Jamshoro’s Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS), a milestone in the province’s efforts to improve maternal and child health care, and a symbol of Pakistan-Japan friendship.
The project, supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, adds 128 beds to the facility, raising the LUMHS’s capacity to 856. Completed under the Annual Development Programme 2025-26 at a cost of Rs331 million, the centre is equipped with modern medical equipment and training programmes to provide round-the-clock services.
It will start operations next week, serving families across Hyderabad Division and beyond. Speaking at the ceremony, CM Shah described the hospital as a beacon of hope and a new dawn for maternal and child health.
He thanked the government and people of Japan, saying: “This hospital is not just bricks and mortar; it is a statement of compassion, progress and our shared vision for healthier generations.”
He highlighted the province’s broader health reforms, announcing four new satellite healthcare centres in Shahdadpur, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Sujawal and Mirpur Mathelo to extend 24/7 maternal and neonatal care to underserved areas. He also praised mobile health units and telemedicine as lifelines for families once hours away from care.
He lauded the Sindh Institute of Child Health & Neonatology, which now treats over 500,000 children annually through one of the world’s largest public neonatal intensive care unit networks with 262 incubators and a 91 per cent survival rate. He proudly cited a decline in infant mortality in the province from 54 deaths per 1,000 live births to 29.
He also highlighted groundbreaking initiatives, including liver transplants at the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences, kidney transplants at the Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation and cancer treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where each patient receives treatment worth approximately $100,000 fully funded by the provincial government.
He criticised the federal government’s attempts to reclaim certain health institutions, asserting that health is a provincial subject now, and vowing to protect the province’s jurisdiction.
He concluded by thanking Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho for her leadership. “The birth of a child should be a moment of hope, not fear. Our mission is to ensure no mother dies during childbirth, and every child gets the healthy start they deserve.”
Earlier, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi met Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon and Hyderabad Mayor Kashif Ali Shoro at the Mayor’s Secretariat to discuss future collaboration between Japan and Hyderabad.
Shoro praised the longstanding friendship between Japan and Pakistan, highlighting the goodwill and mutual respect between their people. He lauded the newly inaugurated mother & child healthcare centre, terming it a model of impactful collaboration.
Memon briefed the ambassador on key development initiatives in Hyderabad, including upgrades to hospitals, roads and public infrastructure aimed at improving service delivery. The meeting explored opportunities for further cooperation, particularly in maternal & child health and clean water supply. The discussions ended on a positive note, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to working together for a healthier, better-served Hyderabad.
Published in News Daily on 26-July-2025.