7.2.7. Healthcare

According to the 2023 Population & Housing Census, usually each union council in Sindh has a healthcare clinic known as a Basic Health Unit (BHU) with two beds for a population of 10 000 to 25 000. Furthermore, primary health care at Sindh province level consisted of Rural Health Councils (RHC), which are better equipped than BHUs and usually had a 15-20 bed capacity for a population of 100 000.2162

The DVIP report declared that residents of Karachi were able to access a BHU within a kilometre, except from Malir District (within 34 kilometres), and Karachi West (within 15 kilometres). Maternal, neonatal and child health facilities had a similar distribution among the Karachi districts.2163 According to the homepage of the Commissioner of Karachi, the city had in total 165 governmental, departmental, private and local bodies hospitals with a capacity of 14 350 beds. Furthermore, it counted 37 BHUs with 76 beds and 6 RHCs with 94 beds, 643 dispensaries, 85 mother and child health centres and 7 maternity homes.2164

Media reporting indicated significant capacity constraints in Karachi’s public hospitals. In March 2025, the Sindh health minister acknowledged shortages of public health facilities in Karachi.2165 In August 2025, the Express Tribune reported that Karachi’s public hospitals had only 6 500 beds and 250 ventilators. The former director of Health Services for Karachi described a ‘severe shortage’ of medical staff in public hospitals, compound by an influx of patients from rural Sindh due to limited treatment capacity in district hospitals. At Jinnah Hospital, around 50 % of required ICU technicians were reportedly lacking, rendering most ICU units inactive. Similar shortages of beds and medical staff were reported at several other public hospitals.2166 Sindh’s public hospitals were estimated to require an additional 15 000 nurses.2167 The cost of qualified private health care was not affordable for most low-income patients.2168

The Health Department of Sindh province lists 44 public Tuberculosis health facilities and 39 private facilities.2169 According to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC), 13 hospitals in Karachi provided antiretroviral therapy.2170 The Health Department of Sindh province listed 11 HIV treatment centres in Karachi of which seven are public facilities.2171 According to a contact at a private hospital in Karachi, contacted by the Swiss Refugee Council (SFH) in June 2025, consultation fees at private hospitals such as Aga Khan University Hospital ranged between 4 500 and 7 000 Pakistani rupees [approximately EUR 13.6-21.2], while antiretroviral treatment and blood tests were provided free of charge.2172 The Health Department of Sindh province lists 20 Hepatitis Sentinel and vaccinations facilities in Karachi.2173 According to the former head of the Civil Hospital’s cancer department, cited by the Express Tribune, cancer treatment in public facilities was limited.2174 There was no dedicated public cancer diagnosis or treatment facility in Karachi available for low-income patients. Private radiation treatment was available at two to three private hospitals where one session costs 15 000 to 20 000 Pakistani rupees [approximately EUR 45.4-60.6].2175