ISLAMABAD - Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services (NHS) Dr. Faisal Sultan on Thursday inaugurated the 150-bed extension project of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Maternal Child Healthcare Center (MCH) Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The project is being completed with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and bed capacity is being enhanced to 150 in wards and ICUs. SAPM Dr. Faisal Sultan on this occasion said that this is the last assignment of the Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan and we have always seen that the Japanese government provides programmes that are for the welfare of the people.
He said that PIMS is the largest hospital in the capital and government is improving its standards adding that the ministry is concerned about it and will provide the resources that PIMS needs. “There is nothing more important than the health of mother and child,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the statement issued said that the grant assistance for the project from Japan worth $32 million (3.62 billion Japanese Yen) was signed in Tokyo two years ago. It said that on this occasion, Matsuda Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, expressed his respect to all those who worked hard to start this project amid COVID-19. Prior to this, in this August, Japan extended another grant assistance of $31.4 million to establish a new Maternal and Child Health Center at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Hyderabad. Ambassador Matsuda commented, “PIMS and Liaquat University are symbols of Japan’s health development assistance to Pakistan in the north and south of the country, respectively. I am sure that the two institutions will make a significant contribution to the improvement of maternal and child health as regional medical hubs.”
Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan Office, Mr. FURUTA Shigeki also remarked, “The project has been long-awaited in order to respond to the growing needs of clinically high-risk perinatal cases from all over Pakistan. 
In this project, high quality medical treatment will be provided to severely ill mothers and children, accommodating 300 patients at Maternal Foetal Intensive Care unit, and 1,100 patients at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit a year.”
According to the current plan, the construction will be completed in April 2023.