The Sindh government has given its in-principle approval to a colossal Rs100 billion master plan aimed at completely transforming Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), with the provincial administration committing a Rs50 billion grant for the project and directing work to begin immediately on the Abdul Sattar Edhi Medical Tower.
Presiding over a high-level meeting today, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah described the ambitious initiative as a major step in overhauling the provincial capital’s healthcare infrastructure. The project is set to double the hospital”s footprint while creating a world-class medical facility.
The redevelopment plan includes the addition of 500 new beds to the hospital”s current capacity of 2,142, with the total area expanding from 835,095 to 1,709,259 square metres.
Under the plan, dilapidated structures and underutilised open spaces will be replaced by modern vertical towers. These new constructions will house a dedicated Medical Tower and Surgical Ward, a new OPD, a Burns Ward, and a Jail Ward.
Further upgrades will feature a modern mortuary, advanced waste management systems, new administrative blocks, and specialised hostels for nurses and doctors.
While embracing modernisation, the Chief Minister provided firm assurances that the hospital”s historical character would be safeguarded. “CHK moves forward, but its past will not be forgotten,” Mr Shah stated, adding, “I will completely restore the heritage building.”
To improve public access and facilitate emergency services, the plan incorporates the widening of Yakoob Khan Road and Bezanji Road, which border the facility, to tackle chronic traffic congestion and ensure smoother ambulance transit.
An oversight board, comprising professionals from both the public and private sectors, will be established to manage and expedite the project”s implementation. The meeting was attended by a broad group of stakeholders, including Minister for Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and prominent philanthropists such as Faisal Edhi and Mushtaq Chhapra, reflecting a collaborative approach to the undertaking.