The board meeting of NICVD chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah decided to merge NICVD and SICVD to address the shortfall in funds. The meeting was informed that more than 1.3 million patients visited NICVD for treatment in 2024.

Health Minister Dr. Azra Pechuho, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, and other key figures attended the meeting. The Chief Minister of Sindh approved the minutes of the previous NICVD meeting and expressed a commitment to further improve the hospital.

The Sindh Chief Minister directed that a 300-bed unit for children should be completed at NICVD this year, while a new OPD block should be completed by July or August 2025.

The annual budget of NICVD is 9 billion rupees, with a shortfall of 2 billion rupees. It is expected that the merger will result in savings that will be used to clear NICVD’s old liabilities.

It was decided in the meeting that no new recruitment will be done at NICVD, and additional staff will be transferred to the municipal department. A directive was given to complete the business plan for the merger within three months, and it was decided to hire a professional consultant.

The board also instructed the formulation of rules for employee appointments and promotions. A committee comprising the Health Minister, S and GAD, and NICVD Executive Director has been established to approve cases of promotion and regularization once the rules are formulated.