NICVD faces shortfall, needs additional Rs 3.5 billion
KARACHI (21 Jan): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over the 84th Governing Body meeting of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), took several landmark decisions to safeguard the institute’s future and expand its life-saving services, focusing on legal restorations, budget enhancements, and infrastructure development.
The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by Minister of Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, MPAs/members Ms Rukhsana Parveen, Sadia Javed, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary of Finance Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary of Health Rehan Baloch, Executive Director NICVD Prof Tahir Saghir, Mushtaq Chhapra, and others.
The meeting decided to resolve all legal ambiguities to ensure this world-class institution continues to serve the public without hindrance,” stated Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
To further professionalise the institute’s management, the Governing Body, in principle, approved the recruitment of a full-time Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) through a competitive, open-market process. The CM directed the health department to establish the rules before beginning the recruitment.
The Governing Body was briefed on the urgent need for an additional Rs. 3.5 billion grant for the current fiscal year (2025-2026) to cover operational shortfalls. It was noted that Rs. 10 billion was approved by the chief minister, yet the institute faces a total funding deficit of approximately Rs. 4.6 billion due to rising administrative and service costs.
The chief minister constituted a committee under Secretary of Finance Fayaz Jatoi to examine the NICVD’s business model and suggest reforms. Once the committee’s report is presented, the required funds will be approved and released, the CM assured.
Executive Director Prof. Tahir Saghir provided an extensive briefing on NICVD’s remarkable achievements in 2025: NICVD Karachi performed 9,925 primary angioplasties in 2024, maintaining its position as the largest such centre globally.
The institute has successfully performed over 200 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures free of charge – a service costing roughly Rs 4 million in private hospitals.
For the first time, NICVD has extended its paediatric cardiac services into Balochistan, performing over 100 surgeries and 300 interventions for children in the neighbouring province.
The dedicated Stroke Intervention Programme has completed over 450 procedures, saving countless lives from permanent neurological damage.
