KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday approved the progress, design, scope and financial framework of a 600-bed tertiary care hospital in Larkano, terming it a major healthcare project for upper Sindh. The project, with an estimated civil works cost of over Rs3 billion, is expected to be completed within two years.
Presiding over a meeting, the chief minister directed the Planning and Development and Health departments to complete all procedural requirements so that construction work could begin with the groundbreaking ceremony planned for March 2026. He said the first tower would be completed within one year, followed by the second tower in the subsequent year.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chairman Planning and Development Najam Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary to the Chief Minister Raheem Shaikh, Health Secretary Rehan Baloch, Dr Saeed Qureshi and Project Director Hospital Kashif Khuhro, while the Commissioner Larkano joined via video link.
The chief minister said the hospital project had been initiated on the instructions of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and would be developed in line with his vision to ensure quality healthcare facilities for the people of upper Sindh.
Officials informed the meeting that the hospital would be a six-storey facility with a basement, to be constructed in two phases, and would function as a 600-bed tertiary care hospital with an actual capacity of 596 beds. Under Phase I, a six-floor tower with a basement will be constructed, providing 288 nursing care beds, 92 emergency beds and 48 intensive care unit beds. Phase II will add another tower with 144 nursing care beds and 24 ICU beds, bringing the total capacity to 432 nursing care beds, 92 emergency beds and 72 ICU beds.
The chief minister was briefed that the hospital would offer modern emergency services, outpatient departments, radiology, dialysis, laboratories, blood bank, endoscopy, day surgery units, eight operation theatres, pre- and post-operative wards, recovery areas and specialised medical and surgical ICUs. Rehabilitation services, administrative offices and attendants’ waiting areas are also part of the approved design.
It was further informed that the basement would house essential support facilities, including kitchen and staff dining areas, central sterile services department, laundry, mortuary, medical gas plant, waste management system, storage areas and loading and unloading docks.
According to the project plan, the ground floor will include emergency triage, radiology, medical and surgical outpatient departments, pharmacy, dialysis unit, emergency observation wards for male and female patients, rehabilitation facilities and administration.
The first floor will accommodate endoscopy, day surgery, super-specialty outpatient clinics, pathology laboratory, blood bank, operation theatres, pre-operative wards, recovery areas and both medical and surgical ICUs. The second floor and third to sixth floors will mainly consist of patient wards, ICU extensions, visitors’ lobbies and operational support areas, while the top floor will house machine rooms and lift services.
The meeting was told that the total covered area of the hospital building will be around 604,494 square feet, along with an academic block of 48,000 square feet and a parking plaza covering 120,000 square feet.
Briefing the chief minister on finances, officials said the estimated cost of civil works is approximately Rs3.108 billion, which includes the main hospital building, additional civil works, non-scheduled items and external development.
Emphasising the importance of the project, CM Murad Ali Shah said the Larkano 600-bed hospital would be a flagship healthcare initiative aimed at providing modern and affordable medical facilities to the people of upper Sindh.
He directed the concerned departments to ensure transparency, strict quality control and timely execution of the project, adding that the hospital should be developed in line with international healthcare standards so that patients from Larkano and surrounding districts would no longer need to travel to Karachi for advanced treatment.
The meeting concluded with directives to finalise all formalities and proceed with implementation from March 2026.
