Japan-Funded Hospital Opens in Sindh’s Jamshoro

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A new 128-bed Mother and Child Health Centre has been inaugurated at the Liaquat University Hospital in Jamshoro, Sindh. The facility, developed with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aims to improve emergency pediatric and maternal care across the region.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the hospital on Friday. During the event, he stated that every child in Sindh is now within a 30-minute reach of emergency healthcare an achievement that was unimaginable just a few years ago.

Japanese Ambassador Shuichi Akamatsu and Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho also attended the inauguration. The hospital, completed at a cost of Rs331 million over seven years, expands Liaquat University Hospital’s capacity to 856 beds. The facility will be operational within the coming week.

The new health center includes specialized departments for obstetrics and pediatrics, a labor room, maternal and neonatal intensive care units, consultation spaces, and diagnostic facilities. Modern equipment such as incubators and ultrasound machines have also been installed. The project is expected to benefit around 3.5 million people in Hyderabad and Jamshoro.

Ambassador Akamatsu highlighted Japan’s commitment to healthcare collaboration in Pakistan, saying the new facility will help deliver timely and quality services to mothers and children in the region. JICA Pakistan Chief Naoaki Miyata emphasized that the project would contribute to reducing maternal and child mortality in the province.

Broader Cooperation on Health and Infrastructure

In a separate meeting, CM Murad Ali Shah met with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth Horst to discuss potential areas of future cooperation. The two reviewed completed initiatives and explored joint opportunities in education, health, water and sanitation, and climate resilience. Shah requested USAID’s co-financing support for constructing Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centres (RHCs), and additional maternal healthcare facilities in underserved areas.

The CM also held talks with a World Bank delegation led by Regional Vice President Ousmane Dione. The discussion focused on ongoing development projects worth $4.012 billion, including a climate-adaptive WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) strategy. Shah presented a zone-specific approach using AI mapping and drone surveys to manage water resources and sanitation systems effectively.

He called for an additional $170 million for the Karachi Urban Mobility Project (KUMP) and urged swift approval of the Project Operations Manual for KWSSIP-II before its August 2025 deadline. Extensions were also requested for the SELECT and Social Protection Delivery projects.

The World Bank team, including Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, acknowledged the concerns and expressed continued support for Sindh’s development agenda.