KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday approved a plan to merge the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) and Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD) and asked provincial health minister to prepare a plan and implemented it within three months.

`To streamline operations and resolve financial challenges, CM Murad Ali Shah approved the merger of NICVD and SICVD,` said a press release issued by the CM House.

`The merger will not only cover the budget shortfall but also ensure cost savings,` the statement quoting the CM said.

The NICVD and two others hospitals Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and National Institute of Child Health (NICH) were handed over to the provincial government by the federal government to operate them for a period of 25 years by provid-ing funds, employees` salaries and bear expenses on medicines under an agreement.

The Sindh government formed SICVD under the provincial law and it overseas all satellite centres /chest pain units established by the province.

According to the press release, Mr Shah chaired a meeting of the NICVD Board with a focus on reviewing the institute`s performance, financial status, and future for improvement.

The meeting held at the CM House was attended among others by Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, health secretary, NICVD Executive Director Prof Tahir Saghir and KCCI President Jawed Bilwani.

The press release stated that the chief minister was told that NICVD`s annual budget stands at Rs9 billion, but the institute was facing a funding shortfall of Rs2bn.

At this, the CM said that the combined budget of NICVD and SICVD was Rs20bn for the current financial year.

He added that the funds saved from this move may be used to clear NICVD`s outstanding liabilities.

Mr Shah said that if additional financial support was required, his government would bridge the gap.

However, he constituted a committee headed by the finance secretary to assess the financial need of the NICVD and arrange funds, if required.

He also directed Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho to prepare a business plan for the NICVD-SICVD merger,which must be completed within three months, with the assistance ofa professionalconsultant.

`With these strategic reforms, the Sindh government aims to enhance the quality of cardiac care while ensuring the financial viability of the country`s largest cardiovascular institute,` the CM said.

When informed that the NICVD was overstaffed, the chief minister ordered that no new recruitments would be made at the institute until further order.

NICVD treated 1.38m patients in 2024, meeting told At the outset of the meeting, the CM approved the minutes of the previous meeting and received a detailed briefing on NICVD`s performance in 2024, during which a record 1.38 million patients were treated across its network.

The chief minister directed that the new Outpatient Department (OPD) Block at NICVD be completed by July or August 2025. The block is being constructed for Rsibn to accommodate the growing number of patients.

The CM was informed that additionally, a private ward and a new Coronary Care Unit (CCU) were being developed with donor support and that seating arrangements for patients` attendants were being arranged with contributions from philanthropists.

The chief minister was told that a new 300-bed paediatric unit was currently under construction. This facil-ity will consist of a ground floor plus seven additional floors, featuring 300 beds, five operating theatres, four catheterisation labs, and one hybrid lab, along with CT and MRI capabilities. It will offer a full range of modern paediatriccardiacservices.

Murad opposes Cholistan Canal Separately, the CM strongly opposed the proposed Cholistan Canal project, deeming it unconstitutional and a violation of Sindh`s water rights.

He told DawnNews that two of the six canals already existed and were part of old irrigation systems.

`Two proposed canals in Sindh [Thar and Reni Canals] were discussed but never formally initiated, he said and added that two proposed canals in Punjab the Cholistan and the Chobara canals [part of the Greater Thal Canal expansion}, are of primary concerns.

`No new canals can be constructed without approval from the Council of Common Interests, which has not yet convened a meeting on this issue,` he maintained.

The CM said that his government has formally challenged the project in the CCI and raised objections regarding the approval of water allocation by the Indus River System Authority.

He insisted that the project could not proceed until the CCI issued a ruling.