South Korea finances establishing three hospitals in Pakistan
By Nasir Aijaz
AsiaN Representative
Karachi: The Republic of Korea on Monday agreed to provide a US$300 million soft loan for financing establishment of three hospitals in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.
In a meeting with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at Chief Minister’s House in Karachi, the provincial capital, the Korean delegation of Exim Bank committed to provide funds out of which US$46 million would be spent on a 200-beded children hospital in Sukkur city, to be established at a cost of $57.274 million while rest of the funds will be spent on reconstruction of Chandka Medical College Hospital in Larkana city and construction of District Headquarters Hospital at Sujawal city.
The Korean Exim Bank delegation consisted of by Director General Exim Bank Mr. UM Sung Young, Senior Officer, Mr. Koh Myung-seong and Administrative Secretary Mr. Saud Hussain Kahlon. The chief minister was assisted by Minister Health Dr. Azra Pechuho, Chairperson Planning & Development Ms. Nahid Shah, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Education Ahsan Mangi, Secretary Health Zahid Memon and Special Secretary Health Dr. Dabir.
The Children Health Care Institute at Sukkur city would be established over an area of 27 acre. There would be a Neonatal Care Unit (NCU), Emergency Blood Transfusion Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Pediatric Surgeries and Operation Theater Department, Efficient Patient Transportation System, Blood Transfusion Unit, enhancement of pediatric special medical services, special Out-Patient Department for ophthalmology and ENT. The project would be completed by the end of 2021.
The chief minister said that the Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana is housed in an old building therefore he wanted to reconstruct the hospital building. He added that the newly created district of Sujawal needs District Headquarter Hospital, which he also wanted to construct.
The Korean delegation said that their government has approved $300 million against which they were allocating $46 million for Children Hospital Sukkur and the reaming amount of $254 million could be given to Chandka Hospital Larkana and Sujawal Hospital projects.
The chief minister directed health department to submit necessary papers with Korean Bank so that the soft loan could be released at the earliest.
Pakistan, Representative of The Asia N/Magazine N 
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