The construction of a major state-of-the-art charitable hospital was formally inaugurated on Sunday in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, a project designed to provide free medical treatment to more than 200,000 needy patients each year and address the city”s widening healthcare service gap.
The University Medical Complex (UMC) is an initiative of Imamia Medics International (IMI), a UN-accredited organisation of Pakistani-origin medical professionals primarily based in North America, known for its extensive humanitarian work.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, renowned religious scholar Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, who inaugurated the project, stated that the UMC would serve humanity without discrimination. He emphasised that providing quality healthcare to deprived societal segments is a core tenet of Islamic teachings and lamented the commercialisation of essential services like health and education, which places them beyond the reach of disadvantaged communities.
In a subsequent fundraising event, former caretaker Sindh Chief Minister, Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, described the UMC as a “timely and much-needed initiative.” He urged philanthropists to wholeheartedly support the project to ensure its swift completion and stressed the importance of maintaining its welfare-driven ethos throughout its development and operation.
Support for the initiative was also pledged by the Vice-Chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Prof Dr Nazli Hossain. She announced her institution”s full backing for the UMC project and commended IMI”s sustained charitable activities in Pakistan and other parts of the world.
IMI Founder Dr Wajih Rizvi detailed that the UMC is designed as a comprehensive, multi-speciality facility. It will offer services including emergency and trauma care, women and child health, and advanced treatment for various diseases, with long-term plans to evolve into a centre for medical education and research.
Dr Rizvi noted that with Karachi’s rapidly expanding population, the demand for quality medical services significantly outstrips the current capacity. He explained that the UMC aims to bridge this gap, particularly for low- and middle-income families who are often unable to afford private healthcare.
He highlighted that IMI”s vision is informed by its experience running 25 charitable clinics across Pakistan, which currently serve around 150,000 patients per year. The organisation’s credibility is underscored by its UN accreditation, first secured 25 years ago and later upgraded to consultative status in 2006.
Dr Rizvi also recalled IMI’s history of responding to major humanitarian crises, including the 2005 earthquake and recent floods in Pakistan.
The event included a fundraising session conducted by actor Khalid Anum, during which donors pledged over Rs 141 million for the hospital”s construction. Notable contributions included a Rs 5 million donation from philanthropist Nadra Panjwani.
The launch of the UMC is being viewed as a significant step towards enhancing accessible and welfare-oriented healthcare in the region.