The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah has in principle approved a Rs.100 billion master plan to transform Civil Hospital Karachi, in what officials describe as a major step towards upgrading healthcare infrastructure in the provincial capital.
While chairing a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister’s House, Murad Ali Shah has also approved a Rs.50 billion grant from the Sindh government for the project. Work on the Abdul Sattar Edhi Medical Tower is expected to begin immediately.
The ambitious project, backed by a provincial government fund of Rs50 billion, aims to double the Civil hospital’s footprint while preserving its historical legacy.
Civil Hospital Karachi currently has 2,142 beds. Under the proposed expansion, an additional 500 beds will be added, along with new facilities including a medical tower, surgical ward, outpatient department (OPD), burns ward and jail ward.
The hospital’s total area will expand considerably. Modern vertical towers will replace dilapidated structures and underutilised open spaces.
These will house a dedicated medical tower and surgical Ward, a new OPD, Burns Ward, Jail Ward, modern mortuary and waste management systems, administrative blocks and specialised hostels for Nurses and Doctors.
To ease traffic congestion around the hospital, the plan also proposes widening Yakoob Khan Road and Bezanji Road to improve ambulance access and facilitate patient transport.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the historical character of the hospital would be preserved during the redevelopment. “I will completely restore the heritage building,” he said, adding that historic structures would be protected alongside the new construction.
The meeting decided that a board comprising professionals from the public and private sectors will be appointed to oversee and expedite the project’s implementation.