Aga Khan Maternal and Child Care Centre in Hyderabad has opened a modern Level II neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to provide advanced, lifesaving care for newborns close to their families. The new unit aims to reduce the need for long and costly transfers to larger cities, speed access to urgent treatment for premature and critically ill infants, and lower newborn mortality in the region.
The NICU upgrade brings specialized neonatal services to Hyderabad and surrounding districts. Families who previously faced long journeys to Karachi or elsewhere for intensive newborn care can now access treatment locally, improving chances for timely, lifesaving interventions.
The new Level II NICU is equipped with advanced respiratory support and oxygen therapies for infants with severe breathing difficulties, along with other essential procedures and treatments used to stabilize and save newborn lives. By reducing delays in care, the facility is expected to ease the burden on parents and improve outcomes for fragile newborns.
Local leaders and health officials highlighted the significance of the opening. The mayor of Hyderabad said the new unit will save lives and bring critical care closer to residents. Dr. Farhat Abbas, Chief Executive Officer of Aga Khan University Health Services, Pakistan, noted that many newborns die because specialized care is not available where they are born, and said the NICU will ensure preterm and seriously ill infants receive the same high standard of care found in larger cities.
Since joining the Aga Khan University Hospital network in 2010, AKMCCC has built a reputation for maternal and child health services and holds Safe Care Level 5 certification, an international recognition for patient safety and quality. Clinic leadership described the NICU opening as a milestone in ongoing efforts to strengthen neonatal care in Hyderabad and the surrounding region.
The inaugural event drew civic leaders, senior representatives from the Sindh Healthcare Commission, and Aga Khan University Hospital leadership and clinicians, underscoring a shared commitment to improving maternal and newborn health services in the area.
