NICVD Body Approves Establishment of Advanced Heart Failure Programme, Expansion of Free Cardiac Care
Published August 17, 2026 | 04:10 PM
KARACHI, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 17th Aug, 2026) Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, while presiding over the 85th Governing Body meeting of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) here on Monday, approved a series of landmark decisions aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s largest public-sector cardiac healthcare institution. This includes the establishment of an Advanced Heart Failure Programme and the expansion of emergency cardiac services.
The meeting, held at the Chief Minister House, was attended by Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Members Provincial Assembly Rukhsana Parveen and Sadia Javed, Principal Secretary to CM Aga Wasif, Health Secretary Tahir Sangi, Finance Secretary Asghar Memon, Executive Director NICVD Prof Tahir Saghir, Patients’ Aid Foundation founder Mushtaq Chhapra, Prof Shahid Sami, and other members of the governing body.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to providing free, quality, and accessible cardiac healthcare to patients from not only Sindh but across Pakistan.
"NICVD is a flagship healthcare institution of Sindh and a national asset. The government will continue extending every possible support to ensure that life-saving cardiac treatment remains available free of cost for all deserving patients," he said.
Murad Ali Shah emphasized the importance of expanding specialized services, adopting advanced technologies, and strengthening human resources to meet the growing healthcare needs of the population.
In a significant development, the governing body approved in principle the establishment of an Advanced Heart Failure Programme based on Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) technology. They also authorized NICVD to begin preparatory work for a future Heart Transplant Programme.
Murad Ali Shah described this initiative as a transformative step in advanced cardiac care and directed NICVD management to collaborate with leading national and international institutions for technical assistance, training, and capacity building. He emphasized that Sindh must remain at the forefront of modern healthcare innovation and specialized treatment services.
The meeting reviewed NICVD’s performance and highlighted remarkable achievements in 2025:
- 9,279 Primary PCI procedures
- 3,069 Pediatric Catheterization and Interventions
- 291 PTMC procedures
- 40 TAVI procedures
- 5,649 Early Invasive procedures
- 889 Elective Angioplasties
- More than 1,400 cardiac surgeries
- 296,731 emergency consultations
- 443,610 OPD consultations
- 18,875 angiographies
- 54,295 admissions
- 88,165 echocardiography examinations
