Latest news with #NICVD
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Police on notice over 'assault' on student by hospital staff
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday summoned records from relevant authorities while hearing a petition challenging the appointment of Syed Mustafa Hassan as the administrator of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). The petitioner's counsel argued that Hassan, originally appointed as an assistant engineer (Grade 11) based on a mechanical diploma, was unlawfully promoted to Grade 18 without due process. The lawyer contended that Hassan's initial appointment lacked transparency as no advertisement was published, and no proper selection procedure was followed. Hassan's primary responsibilities reportedly included maintenance of air conditioners and lifts, yet he was allegedly favoured with rapid promotions — first to Grade 16 and later to Grade 18 — before being appointed as NICVD administrator. After hearing the petition, the SHC issued notices to relevant authorities directing them to furnish records of the appointment. Meanwhile, the additional and sessions judge for District South has issued notices to police officials on a petition filed by a female student alleging assault at the cardio hospital. The petitioner, Atiya Tariq, claimed in her plea that she was assaulted by hospital staff after she attempted to record an incident in which her mother was denied treatment. According to the petitioner, a security guard verbally abused her, after which four men and a woman forcibly confined her to a room, physically assaulted her, and stole Rs50,000 from her purse. The petitioner further stated that she could identify the perpetrators but that police refused to register an FIR.
Express Tribune
03-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
NICVD takes in two child patients expelled by India
In a humanitarian move, the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) has taken responsibility for the free treatment of two children who returned from India without receiving medical care. Nine-year-old Abdullah and seven-year-old Mansa are both suffering from congenital heart defects. The children belong to a family from Hyderabad that had traveled to India in search of treatment. However, due to heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, they were forced to return abruptly without undergoing any procedures. Upon their return, NICVD immediately formed a high-level medical board comprising pediatric cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and CT scan specialists. After a thorough evaluation, the board concluded that both children could safely undergo complex cardiac surgeries at NICVD in Karachi, eliminating the need for treatment abroad. The hospital's senior medical team briefed the children's father in detail about the surgical procedures, recovery process, and expected outcomes. Expressing full confidence in the institute and its expert team, the father said NICVD had rekindled hope for his family after the treatment setback in India. Currently, the father is consulting additional specialists at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi. Once those consultations are complete, the children's surgeries will be scheduled at NICVD. These complex procedures will be carried out entirely free of cost, reflecting NICVD and the Sindh government's commitment to providing world-class cardiac care to all Pakistanis without financial burden. NICVD is Pakistan's largest and most advanced cardiac care institution, offering state-of-the-art treatment to both children and adults. Its mission is to ensure that no heart patient in the country is left untreated due to financial constraints.
Express Tribune
30-01-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
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.
