KARACHI - Sindh Health Minister, Dr. Saghir Ahmed on Monday evening performed the ground breaking of the provinces first Accident, Emergency and Trauma Centre, to be completed in three years time against a total cost of Rs.2,269 million. On the occasion he said that it was due to sheer political will that ECNEC, this August only finally approved financing the much-wanted facility dedicated to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Funding for this 440 bed facility will be shared on fifty -fifty basis by the federal government and Sindh government, said the minister. Completion of this ambitious project, he said will provide an easy access to the people in need from not only Sindh and Balochistan but from all parts of the country. Dr. Saghir Ahmed said the facility very much need in the metropolitan city was conceived several years ago with frequent foundation laying ceremonies, however, hit snag due to hindrances created by the bureaucracy. Objections were created under one or the other pretext that were baseless but the delay led to substantial increase in the initially expected cost required for its construction, said Dr. Saghir Ahmed. This Rs.1474 million project remained pending for years and only now will begin on immediate basis against a cost of Rs. 2,269m, he said. The Health Minister said certain changes have to be made in the original design, to curtail cost.Sindh Health Minister thanked the PM Yusuf Raza Gilani for taking keen interest in the project and helping it get a start. Sindh Health Secretary, Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi appreciated health minister for taking keen interest in the project and ensuring that work started at the identified site after proper arrangement to efficiently re-locate concerned wards to a better accessible site. The ceremony was also addressed by Dr. Said Qureishi, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital -Karachi and Project Director of the Trauma Centre, Hayat Kamal. The program that started after a two hour delay and actually began after Maghrib prayers was also attended by PPP leaders Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi.