First Lady Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari, MNA, was today briefed on the vision and implementation roadmap for the proposed Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Comprehensive Stroke Center 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 Mr. Mushtaq Chapra, Chairman of the Patient Aid Foundation.
During the briefing, Dr. Zaidi highlighted the growing burden of stroke in Sindh, noting that the province, with a population of over 55 million, records an estimated 500 stroke cases every day, including around 50 patients with severe strokes requiring highly specialised care. He emphasised the urgent need to strengthen the public healthcare system by establishing a Comprehensive Stroke Center capable of providing timely, life-saving treatment.
The First Lady was informed that while NICVD and SICVD provide valuable care for patients with ischemic stroke, Sindh currently lacks a Comprehensive Stroke Center capable of managing the full spectrum of stroke care, including both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, complex neurovascular emergencies, advanced neuro-interventional procedures, neurocritical care and specialised rehabilitation.
Dr. Zaidi said the initiative is being led through the Pakistan Stroke Initiative, a US-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 partnership aims to establish Sindh’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Center, which will provide advanced stroke care, specialist training and research while serving as the hub of a province-wide tele-stroke network.
Mr. 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 shared its long-term vision of developing Pakistan’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Network over the next three to five years by training stroke neurologists and neuro-interventional specialists, expanding regional stroke services, strengthening emergency referral pathways, standardising stroke care protocols and connecting district hospitals through an integrated tele-stroke network.
The First Lady appreciated the collaborative efforts of the Pakistan Stroke Initiative, the Patient Aid Foundation and JPMC to improve stroke care in Pakistan. She acknowledged the importance of strengthening specialised stroke services and expressed her full support for initiatives aimed at reducing preventable deaths and lifelong disability caused by stroke, noting that such efforts would help save lives and improve patient outcomes.
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, strengthen Sindh’s stroke care system and expand access to high-quality specialised stroke care for the people of Sindh and Pakistan.
Mayor Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, was also present during the briefing.
