Karachi: The Sindh government has handed over administrative control of the more than 200-bed Children’s Hospital at Nagan Chowrangi in New Karachi to the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN), with plans to reopen the facility for patients by the end of this year.
According to provincial health department officials, the hospital will become SICHN’s 14th satellite centre, expanding specialised paediatric healthcare services to children living in New Karachi and adjoining areas.
The hospital was previously being operated under a public-private partnership arrangement but had remained temporarily closed following protests by its employees, leaving patients and their families without access to healthcare services at the facility.
Officials said the prolonged disruption had created difficulties for residents of the densely populated neighbourhoods who depended on the hospital for treatment of their children.
In view of the situation, the Sindh government decided to transfer the hospital’s administrative control to SICHN, a provincial public-sector institution specialising in child healthcare and neonatal services.
Following the takeover, SICHN has been tasked with making the hospital operational and restoring healthcare services before the end of December 2026.
Health department officials said the reopening of the facility would help improve access to paediatric treatment in New Karachi and surrounding localities, where demand for affordable healthcare services remains high.
The hospital’s integration into the SICHN network is also expected to strengthen the availability of specialised child healthcare services in the area.
Officials expressed hope that the facility would resume patient care within the stipulated timeframe, providing much-needed relief to families who have faced difficulties since its closure.