Karachi: Sindh had proved after the 18th Amendment that it could run healthcare far better than the federal government, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Friday, citing NICVD, SIUT, SICHN, SIAG, JPMC and emergency networks as examples of a devolved system that now leads Pakistan in free and advanced treatment.
He said the inauguration of the new state-of-the-art OPD block at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases showed how devolution helped Sindh build one of the world’s largest free cardiac care networks.
Bilawal inaugurated the modern OPD block at NICVD Karachi in the presence of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and provincial health minister Dr Azra Pechuho. He said the expansion would increase patient capacity and further strengthen services at Pakistan’s leading cardiac institute.
He told the ceremony that the 18th Amendment triggered a new journey in Sindh where free and international-standard health services became a central part of the provincial agenda. He said NICVD played a defining role in turning the PPP manifesto into accessible and high-quality treatment for millions.
He praised NICVD’s doctors, paramedics and administration, saying the network now matched the world’s leading cardiac centres. He said the institute had grown into the largest free cardiac treatment system globally.
Bilawal highlighted NICVD’s satellite centres in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Tando Muhammad Khan, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sehwan and Mithi. He said chest pain units across Karachi had saved thousands of lives by providing immediate care close to home.
He said NICVD Karachi was now treating patients from every province, showing how Sindh’s public health system had become a national referral hub. He shared fresh data showing 7,017 patients arrived from Azad Kashmir, 5,020 from Gilgit Baltistan, 84,633 from Balochistan, 35,221 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and more than 16,000 from Punjab during the past year.
Bilawal said Sindh’s gains in health were strengthened by strong public–private partnerships that brought advanced technology and specialist services to the province. He said CyberKnife cancer treatment at JPMC became possible through the Patient Aid Foundation.
He said the ChildLife Foundation helped establish a district-wide children’s emergency response network across Sindh. He added that cooperation with Indus Hospital strengthened primary care and helped the province respond effectively to COVID.
PPP leader said these collaborations allowed even the most expensive modern treatments to become free of cost in Sindh. He added that the province’s public health model had become a benchmark for equitable care.
Bilawal said a former prime minister had tried to blame provincial resources for federal financial crises. He said this mindset still existed among some members of the current federal government who wanted to reverse devolved powers.
He said the real problem was the federal government’s inability to collect taxes efficiently. He said FBR and other federal institutions were failing while provinces had shown consistent improvement.
Bilawal said Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had all surpassed federal records in collecting general sales tax on services. He said the provinces had proved that devolution created stronger governance and financial discipline.
He urged that provinces be allowed to collect other taxes as well and deposit the full revenue in the federal account to help stabilise the centre. He said provinces were ready to meet federal targets and even compensate shortfalls from their share.
He added that if provinces exceeded their targets, the additional funds should be returned to them for public welfare including health, education and infrastructure. He said empowering provinces was the only sustainable solution to Pakistan’s governance and financial challenges.
Bilawal said Sindh’s devolved health system had delivered results the federation could not match. He said the province would continue expanding free, modern and high-quality treatment so people could rely on public hospitals without fear of financial burden.
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