Stroke Center: First Lady Backs Plan for Sindh’s First Public Comprehensive Stroke Facility

Stroke Center plans received a major boost after First Lady Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari was briefed on a proposal to establish Sindh’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Center at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi.

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The briefing was delivered by Dr. Syed Fazal Zaidi, Professor of Neurology at the University of Toledo, internationally recognized vascular and interventional neurologist, and Founding Director of the JPMC Comprehensive Stroke Program. He was joined by Mushtaq Chapra, Chairman of the Patient Aid Foundation.

Dr. Zaidi highlighted the growing burden of stroke in Sindh, stating that the province records an estimated 500 stroke cases every day. Around 50 patients suffer severe strokes that require highly specialized treatment. He stressed the need for a dedicated Comprehensive Stroke Center to provide timely, life-saving care and strengthen the public healthcare system.

Officials explained that while NICVD and SICVD offer valuable treatment for ischemic stroke patients, Sindh does not currently have a public Comprehensive Stroke Center capable of managing both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, complex neurovascular emergencies, advanced neuro-interventional procedures, neurocritical care and specialized rehabilitation.

The initiative is being developed through the Pakistan Stroke Initiative, a US-based non-profit organization, in partnership with the Patient Aid Foundation, JPMC and the Government of Sindh. The project aims to establish Sindh’s first public-sector Comprehensive Stroke Center, which will provide advanced patient care, specialist training, medical research and serve as the hub of a province-wide tele-stroke network.

Mushtaq Chapra reaffirmed the Patient Aid Foundation’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s public healthcare system through strategic philanthropic partnerships. He said the foundation would continue supporting the development of world-class medical infrastructure at JPMC to ensure equal access to advanced healthcare services.

The delegation also presented its long-term vision to build 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, improving emergency referral pathways, standardizing stroke treatment protocols and connecting district hospitals through an integrated tele-stroke network.

First Lady Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari appreciated the joint efforts of the Pakistan Stroke Initiative, the Patient Aid Foundation and JPMC to improve stroke care in Pakistan. She expressed full support for initiatives designed to reduce preventable deaths and lifelong disabilities caused by stroke, emphasizing that stronger specialized healthcare services would 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 project that will strengthen Sindh’s stroke care system and expand access to high-quality specialized treatment across the province.

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab also attended the briefing.