KARACHI: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Thursday inaugurated a new building of the Indus University Hospital (IUH) – a major project being developed with the provincial government’s support, which is designed to become the country’s largest free-of-charge hospital upon completion over the next three years.
The Rs72 billion facility will have an admission capacity for 1,350 patients upon construction.
“This initiative is designed to meet Karachi’s growing healthcare needs. Upon full completion, the facility will offer comprehensive, free-of-charge healthcare services across a wide range of specialities, benefiting millions of patients annually,” said Bilawal at the inauguration, which was attended by senior government officials, including Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah, Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch, several donors and representatives of the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN).
The inauguration of this landmark project on Christmas Day carried deep symbolic meaning, he added.
“All religions teach us compassion and the duty to care for the poor, the sick and the most vulnerable segments of society.“
The PPP government, he noted, remained committed to providing world-class healthcare facilities to the people without discrimination of any kind, emphasising that care for the underprivileged lies at the very core of the PPP’s political philosophy.
“Roti, Kapra aur Makaan (bread, clothing and shelter) is not merely a slogan; it is a manifesto, an ideology and a way of life. We believe it is the fundamental responsibility of the state to protect and uplift the poor.”
Highlighting the government’s performance in the health sector, the PPP chairman said that the province’s healthcare system had undergone a transformative change since the party had started running the government.
“We are no longer competing with other provinces; we are competing on a global scale,” he said.
