“US-based neurologist Dr. Syed Fazal Zaidi briefs First Lady on plan to establish Sindh’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Center aimed at transforming stroke care, specialist training and research.”
KARACHI: First Lady Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari, Member of the National Assembly (MNA), was on Wednesday briefed on a proposal to establish a Comprehensive Stroke Center at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening specialised stroke care and expanding access to advanced neurological services across Sindh.
The briefing was delivered by Dr. Syed Fazal Zaidi, Professor of Neurology at the University of Toledo, internationally renowned vascular and interventional neurologist, and Founding Director of the JPMC Comprehensive Stroke Program, along with Patient Aid Foundation Chairman Mushtaq Chapra.
During the presentation, Dr. Zaidi highlighted the growing burden of stroke in Sindh, stating that the province’s population of more than 55 million experiences an estimated 500 stroke cases every day, including nearly 50 severe cases requiring highly specialised treatment. He stressed the urgent need to establish a public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Center capable of delivering timely, life-saving interventions and advanced neurological care.
The First Lady was informed that while the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) and the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD) provide valuable treatment for patients suffering from ischemic stroke, Sindh currently lacks a Comprehensive Stroke Center capable of managing the full spectrum of stroke care, including ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, complex neurovascular emergencies, advanced neuro-interventional procedures, neurocritical care and specialised rehabilitation services.
Dr. Zaidi explained that the initiative is being implemented through the Pakistan Stroke Initiative, a United States-based non-profit organisation established to advance stroke care in Pakistan, in partnership with the Patient Aid Foundation, JPMC and the Government of Sindh. The proposed facility will become Sindh’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Center, serving as a centre of excellence for advanced clinical care, specialist training, research and a province-wide tele-stroke network connecting hospitals across Sindh.
Mushtaq Chapra reaffirmed the Patient Aid Foundation’s longstanding commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s public healthcare system through strategic philanthropic partnerships and supporting the development of world-class medical infrastructure at JPMC to ensure equitable access to advanced healthcare services.
The delegation also outlined a long-term strategy to establish Pakistan’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Network over the next three to five years. The plan includes training stroke neurologists and neuro-interventional specialists, expanding regional stroke services, strengthening emergency referral systems, standardising stroke treatment protocols and integrating district hospitals through a comprehensive tele-stroke network.
Appreciating the collaborative efforts of the Pakistan Stroke Initiative, the Patient Aid Foundation and JPMC, First Lady Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari underscored the importance of strengthening specialised stroke services to reduce preventable deaths and lifelong disabilities caused by stroke.
She expressed her full support for initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes and ensuring wider access to quality neurological care.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advancing the JPMC Comprehensive Stroke Center as a landmark public-sector healthcare initiative that will complement existing services, reinforce Sindh’s stroke care system and significantly enhance access to specialised stroke treatment for the people of Sindh and Pakistan.
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab also attended the briefing.
