The Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation (SIUT) has acquired Regent Plaza, a four-star hotel in Karachi, to convert it into a healthcare facility, expanding its free services for patients, a SIUT trustee announced on Sunday.
Founded by philanthropist and distinguished surgeon Dr. Syed Adibul Hasan Rizvi, SIUT is Pakistan’s leading center for treating kidney-related diseases, offering free services such as dialysis and transplantation to patients from across the country. Initially established as the urology department of Karachi’s Civil Hospital in 1970, SIUT gained autonomous status in 1991. The institute currently performs up to 12 transplants weekly and conducted Pakistan’s first liver transplant in 2003.
Regent Plaza, situated on Karachi’s main thoroughfare, Shahrah-e-Faisal, covers an area of 13,200 square yards with a total covered area of 47,034 square yards. Last October, the hotel management informed investors of SIUT’s Rs14.5 billion offer to purchase it, and on Saturday, the hotel’s signboard was replaced with that of SIUT.
“With this new facility, we will add 1,000 beds to SIUT, and this branch will offer all services,” said Syed Shabbar Zaidi, a SIUT trustee, emphasizing that the location on Shahrah-e-Faisal will provide easier access for patients.
According to the Regent Plaza official website, the building features 440 luxurious guest rooms, including presidential, executive, and business suites, among other categories of rooms.
Regarding potential traffic issues due to the hotel’s conversion into a hospital, Zaidi assured that they would provide an alternate entrance to ensure smooth traffic flow on Shahrah-e-Faisal, a signal-free thoroughfare connecting Karachi airport with the city’s main business hub, frequented by hundreds of thousands of people daily.
“We will establish an entrance from another direction, eliminating any traffic disruptions,” he said.
Zaidi highlighted that the hotel’s building is an ideal space, and acquiring it would be highly beneficial for patients. “With increased capacity, we will accommodate more patients while ensuring easily accessible facilities,” he added.
