President Arif Alvi said provision of better health facilities to the people is top priority of the government and steps in this regards are being taken.

Talking to reporters following his surprise visit to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) here, he said it was a critical requirement to meet the growing pressure of patients from the city itself as well as from other parts of the country in search of specialized medical treatment.

The President also acknowledged urgent need for at least one more 500-bed children hospital in the Sindh metropolis.

Four to five child patients could be seen accommodated on a single bed at the NICH and “this is definitely a matter of serious concern for me and also for the government,” he added.

The situation, he said, reflected the intensity in terms of patients’ load as well as that of resource constraints.

To a question, President Alvi said it was on the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan that he was visiting the facility.

“I have also sought details of the recent tragic incident at the NICH causing loss of a precious life,” he said, mentioning that NICH Director Dr Syed Jamal Raza had given him a detailed presentation on the working of the facility. “I was told that there are 70 incubators at the NICH,” he added.

The president, who also accompanied by First Lady Mrs Samina Alvi, took round of different wards and distributed gifts among the child patients.

He also personally listened to the caretakers accompanying the kids and observed with concern that many of them have to procure medicines and other essential accessories for the kids from outside the hospital.

“Concrete and long term measures have to be taken,” he said, adding the support extended by philanthropists was highly appreciable.

The president later also visited National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).