CM announces highway trauma centres to save lives
KARACHI:
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has unveiled plans to establish emergency trauma centres along highways to provide medical aid to accident victims, saying that timely intervention could prevent fatalities.
The announcement came during his keynote address at the 58th Convocation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), where he reiterated his government's commitment to expanding critical healthcare infrastructure across the province.
While referring to a recent accident near Manjhand that claimed three lives, CM Shah stressed the need for accessible emergency care. "If victims receive immediate medical assistance, countless lives can be saved," he said, directing the health secretary and Sehwan Hospital's executive director to expedite the setting up of trauma centres.
While Karachi's Civil Hospital already houses the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre, the chief minister stressed the need for replicating such facilities province-wide.
CM Shah highlighted achievements under his administration, including the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), which he hailed as the region's leading centre for primary angiographies. With 24 chest pain units and nine satellite centres, NICVD has transformed cardiac care accessibility.
The chief minister also spotlighted Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), which offers free CyberKnife radiation therapy - a cutting-edge procedure costing up to $100,000 abroad. "Patients from across Pakistan and even expatriates rely on this life-saving service," he said.
While lauding collaborations with institutions like the Indus Hospital and the Sindh Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes (SIED), CM Shah reaffirmed the government's focus on partnerships to deliver world-class healthcare. "Healthcare is the state's prime responsibility, but synergies with the private sector amplify our impact," he said, crediting SIED's success to Dr Saad Niaz's leadership.
While addressing over 1,000 graduating specialists, the chief minister called on them to embrace empathy, ethics, and excellence in their practice. "You are custodians of a noble profession. Repay society's trust by alleviating suffering with compassion and skill," he urged. He lauded CPSP's role in elevating Pakistan's global medical standing, emphasising the institution's trifecta of academic rigor, autonomy, and social responsibility.
The convocation, attended by CPSP President Prof Muhammad Shoaib Shafi, Royal College of Edinburgh President Prof Andrew, and dignitaries from Bangladesh and Pakistan, celebrated the graduates' accomplishments.
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