UAE-funded $27m institute opens
SMBZANICQ was inaugurated in Quetta
Upon the directives of UAE President His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and with the support and follow-up of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute of Cardiology (SMBZANICQ) was inaugurated in Quetta, yesterday.
Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa inaugurated the institute. The opening ceremony was attended by Governor of Balochistan, Mir Jan Jamali; UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi; Director of UAEPAK Assistance Programme Abdullah Al Ghafli; doctors; paramedical staff; and senior civil and military officials.
First of its kind
The institute is the first specialised facility for the treatment of heart diseases in the province of Balochistan.
The institute is equipped with the latest machinery and a state-of-the-art cardiology facility. It will serve as a reference centre for hospitals and clinics in the region with regard to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, heart and cancer diagnosis for residents of the regions and cities of Balochistan and its neighbouring provinces.
These specialised treatment services will be provided by medical and technical cadres with expertise and scientific competence.
The project has been implemented thanks to the continuous support of the leadership of the UAE to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which focuses on humanitarian and development projects.
The building is constructed on an area of 121,406 square meters and at a cost of $27.30 million (Dh100 million) funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.
At the end of the ceremony, the UAE ambassador, accompanied by the Director of UAE-PAK Assistance Programme, toured the wards of the institute and met with patients, doctors and nurses, and conveyed the greetings of the leadership and people of the UAE.
Helping others
He said the hospital was completed on the directives of Shaikh Mohammad and reflected his keenness to provide support and humanitarian assistance to the people of Balochistan.
The development projects that are implemented are the evidence of the generosity of Shaikh Mohammad and his interest in helping the needy.
Later, Al Ghafli in a statement stressed the importance of the initiatives of Shaikh Mohammad and the support of Shaikh Mansour.
Such initiatives enable Pakistan to provide the best health care services to its citizens, he said.
Through these initiatives, multiple health projects have been implemented and completed, he added.