ISLAMABAD: Balochistan's first cardiac center that is built in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates is nearing completion, said officials supervising the project while briefing the provincial administration on Friday, adding that 80 percent of the project's construction work had already been done.

Pakistan started building the 120-bed medical facility in Quetta after Prime Minister Imran Khan performed its groundbreaking in March 2019.

According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the hospital is expected to become fully functional by the beginning of the next year since the government has already approved procurement funds for the required medical equipment.

Balochistan's Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan told the meeting that the provincial administration was paying specific attention to the health sector.

An official statement quoted him as saying that this was the first time anyone was working to build a medical center to treat heart diseases in the province.

He added that his administration also planned to build the first cancer hospital and issue universal health cards to provide basic medical services to the residents of Balochistan.