Public health delivery by provincial administrations stays troubling even though government medical facilities nationwide manage budgets totaling trillions of rupees.
Global benchmarks mandate a minimum of 3 to 5 hospital beds for every 1,000 residents, whereas Pakistan operates at a rate of only 0.63 beds per 1,000 people. The nation must multiply its current hospital capacity and bed availability by at least five times.
A total of 1,279 major public medical facilities function throughout Pakistan. Government-run hospitals in Punjab number 388 with 60,191 beds, equating to about one bed for every 1,800 residents.
Sindh maintains 39,564 beds spread across 473 facilities, translating to one bed for every 1,400 individuals. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa houses 22,154 beds in 277 hospitals, which equals roughly one bed for every 1,600 people.
Balochistan accounts for 7,747 beds inside 132 state medical institutions, providing roughly one bed for every 1,700 residents. Islamabad features 2,571 beds across 9 hospitals, maintaining about one accessible bed for every 900 citizens.
Regarding financial allocations, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa designated Rs334 billion for healthcare, alongside a separate allocation of Rs50.4 billion directed toward the Sehat Card Plus program. Punjab recorded a health budget reaching approximately Rs500.6 billion, while Sindh assigned about Rs500.62 billion toward its healthcare sector.
Balochistan operates with a health budget of Rs96 billion, and the federal administration set aside Rs53.3 billion designated for federal territories and nationwide initiatives.
