National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases was founded by Dr. Ali Muhammad Kasim in 1963 and the foundation stone was laid by former President Field Marshall Ayub Khan. Dr. Kasim did not live long enough to see the outcome and died in 1964.

NICVD emerged from a small Central Heart Clinic of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and has been providing primary heart care over more than 50 years. With the support of Government of Pakistan, USAID ad Japanese Government NICVD became fully functional cardiac center in 1971. For almost 8 years it remained a Non-Governmental Organization but the Government of Pakistan nationalized it in 1979 and under the Federal Ministry of Health it became an Autonomous Body.

It is an institution that has been established for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of cardiovascular patients. The hospital aims to provide the services to patients regardless of their socioeconomic status.