Aseefa Bhutto visits SICHN, applauds free child and maternal care


IV Report

KARACHI: National Assembly Member and First Lady of Pakistan, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, visited the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) and a mother and child healthcare facility in Korangi on Thursday, accompanied by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab.

The delegation was received at the newly developed Azam Basti hospital — a SICHN facility — by Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani. Prof Dr Syed Jamal Raza, Executive Director of SICHN, led the visitors through various departments at both government-run health settings.

During the visit, the delegation interacted with medical staff and met parents of young patients receiving care. According to an official handout, the visitors expressed appreciation for the dedication of healthcare professionals working to improve maternal and child health services in underserved areas of Karachi.

The First Lady was briefed on SICHN’s main 200-bed facility, operational for the past three years, which has provided free-of-cost treatment to nearly 297,000 patients. The institute offers specialised medical care for newborns, children, and mothers.

Ms Bhutto Zardari especially praised the provision of free treatment for neonates, infants, and children, as well as the broader expansion of SICHN’s healthcare network. “The dedication seen here today reflects a promising future for the health of our nation’s children and mothers,” she was quoted as saying.

In Karachi, SICHN is currently operating facilities at Azam Basti, Korangi, JPMC, and Sobhraj hospitals, and has expanded its services to Sukkur, Nawabshah, and Larkana.

Photos: Official source

 

 

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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