Karachi: First Lady Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari, MNA, received a briefing on the proposal to establish a Comprehensive Stroke Center at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). The briefing was conducted by Dr. Syed Fazal Zaidi, Professor of Neurology at the University of Toledo and Founding Director of the JPMC Comprehensive Stroke Program, alongside Mr. Mushtaq Chapra, Chairman of the Patient Aid Foundation.

According to Press Information Department, Dr. Zaidi outlined the significant incidence of stroke in Sindh, highlighting that the province faces approximately 500 stroke cases daily. He underscored the necessity for a Comprehensive Stroke Center to manage severe stroke cases requiring specialized care. While existing institutions like NICVD and SICVD provide care for ischemic strokes, the absence of a center for comprehensive stroke care, including hemorrhagic strokes and advanced procedures, remains a critical gap.

The initiative, led by the Pakistan Stroke Initiative in collaboration with the Patient Aid Foundation, JPMC, and the Government of Sindh, aims to establish Sindh’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Center. This center will serve as a hub for advanced stroke care, specialist training, and will initiate a province-wide tele-stroke network.

Mr. Chapra emphasized the Patient Aid Foundation’s dedication to enhancing public healthcare through strategic partnerships, aiming to develop world-class medical infrastructure at JPMC. The plan includes developing Pakistan’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Network within five years by training specialists and expanding stroke services.

First Lady Asifa Bhutto Zardari expressed support for the collaborative efforts to improve stroke care, acknowledging the initiative’s potential to reduce preventable deaths and improve patient outcomes. The meeting concluded with a commitment to advancing the stroke center as a landmark healthcare project that will complement existing services and expand access to specialized stroke care in Sindh and Pakistan.

Mayor Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, was also present during the briefing.