The federal government has announced plans to construct new hospitals across all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan in the upcoming fiscal budget for 2025-26.
The initiative, to be funded by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, aims to ensure equitable access to medical facilities throughout the country.
Specific regions have already been identified for these projects. In AJK, new hospitals are planned for Mirpur and Bhimber districts. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will see new facilities in Chitral and the merged tribal districts. In Sindh, a hospital will be established in Tharparkar, while Balochistan’s Panjgur district is set to receive a 500-bed hospital.
Punjab will benefit from a specialized cancer hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan, addressing critical healthcare needs in the region.
In a separate move to reduce energy costs and promote sustainability, the government has decided to solarise hospitals in Islamabad. The transition will begin with the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Poly Clinic, which have been asked to submit solarisation plans for inclusion in the upcoming Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Currently, PIMS pays over Rs. 30 million per month in electricity bills, while Poly Clinic pays more than Rs. 7 million. The shift to solar energy is expected to result in significant cost savings and support the adoption of renewable energy sources in the healthcare sector.