Patients are struggling to access life-saving treatments while intensive care infrastructure does not meet the province’s health standards.
PESHAWAR:
As Muhammad Owais rushed through the corridors of Khyber University Hospital in a desperate search for an intensive care unit bed for his critically ill mother, with each passing minute his chances of survival diminished.
Hospital staff told him no intensive care beds were available and he had no choice but to wait. Undeterred, Owais moved from one department to another, hoping to find a solution. But by the time he returned to her bedside, his mother had succumbed to her illness.
“For years, the government has claimed that hospitals are equipped with all the necessary facilities. Where are these facilities today? Who will answer for my mother’s death?” » blasted Owais.
The loss of Owais highlights a broader health crisis in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where a population of more than 40 million has only about 400 intensive care beds in public hospitals, or less than one intensive care bed per 100,000 people.
According to official figures, the province’s main hospitals have limited intensive care capacity. Hayatabad Medical Complex has 49 ICU beds, Khyber University Hospital 45, while Lady Reading Hospital – the largest tertiary care facility in the province and a key referral center for major emergencies and bomb blast victims – has just 34 ICU beds. Ayub University Hospital in Abbottabad has 32 ICU beds, Mardan Medical Complex 16 and Qazi Hussain Ahmad Medical Complex in Nowshera only six.
Speaking to The Express PK Press Club, pulmonologist Dr Ehtesham Khan described the situation as alarming.
“This is an extremely serious problem. Four hundred ICU beds are nowhere near enough for a province with a population of over 40 million. Based on existing healthcare demands and international standards, KP should have at least 1,000 ICU beds,” Dr Khan said.
“When intensive care beds are unavailable, many critically ill patients – including trauma victims, heart patients, children and others with life-threatening illnesses – lose their lives because they cannot receive the intensive care they urgently need,” he said. He noted that even though critical care medicine is rapidly advancing around the world, Pakistan continues to face a shortage of qualified specialists.
“Many resuscitators prefer to work abroad due to better incentives and working conditions. Creating an intensive care unit is not only about increasing the number of beds; it also requires qualified staff and specialized resources, both of which are in short supply,” he added.
Dr Khan also urged the government to expand the Sehat Card scheme to cover intensive care in private hospitals.
“In private hospitals, intensive care charges often exceed Rs50,000 per day, making intensive care unaffordable for poor patients,” he pointed out.
Dr. Saleem Yousafzai, spokesperson for the Provincial Physicians Association, stressed that the shortage extends beyond intensive care facilities.
“Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa currently has 11 teaching hospitals and 32 non-teaching government hospitals, but there is a lack of facilities not only in ICU but also in radiology, pathology and several other departments,” he told The Express PK Press Club.
It recommended that each teaching hospital in the province should have at least 50 ICU beds, while central district hospitals should maintain a minimum of 20 ICU beds.
Responding to concerns, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Secretary Shahidullah Khan assured that improving health services remains the top priority of the government.
“The Ministry of Health and the government are fully aware of the shortage of intensive care beds in public hospitals,” he said. He added that the provincial government plans to increase the health budget in the next fiscal year and intends to double the number of intensive care beds in public sector hospitals. “We are committed to ensuring better health care facilities for the people of the province,” the Health Secretary said.
