KP To Outsource 72 Public Hospitals To Private Firms To Improve Services

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has decided to outsource the management of multiple hospitals across the province to private firms in an effort to improve healthcare services. The decision includes Category B, C, and D hospitals, most of which are located in remote tribal districts and southern regions of KP.

According to documents received from the Health Foundation, over 70 government hospitals have been identified for outsourcing due to poor performance. These hospitals face chronic issues such as staff shortages, low patient admissions, absenteeism, and administrative inefficiencies, making it difficult for people to access basic healthcare facilities.

Provincial Health Advisor Ehtesham Khan confirmed that, after extensive consultations, the Health Foundation has decided to outsource 72 hospitals to private firms in the public interest. He stated that the decision aims to ensure better administration, complete staff availability, proper medical supplies, and timely treatment for patients.

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Among the major facilities in Category B hospitals to be outsourced are Lakki Marwat's District Headquarters Hospital, North Waziristan's DHQ Miranshah, DHQ Hangu, and Malakand's Dargai Hospital. Category C hospitals include DHQ Ghalanai in Mohmand and DHQ Tank, along with several tehsil-level hospitals such as Sadda (Kurram), Puran (Shangla), Banda Daud Shah and Takhte Nasrati (Karak), Chakdara and Samar Bagh (Lower Dir), Madian (Swat), and Takhte Bhai (Mardan).

Category D hospitals to be outsourced include Titterkhel and Tajuri (Lakki Marwat), Bana (Battagram), Amakhel (Tank), Booni (Upper Chitral), Kulachi and Panyala (D.I. Khan), Tal (Hangu), Shakardarra and Lachi (Kohat), and many others across Buner, Abbottabad, Swabi, Haripur, Karak, and Mansehra. Several Rural Health Centers (RHCs) and civil hospitals in tribal districts such as Sararogha, Ladha, and Dattakhel will also be handed over to private management.

Journalist Muhammad Faheem said this is not the first time KP has tried this approach; 19 hospitals are already being run successfully by private firms under the Health Foundation model. He noted that the initiative has ensured the presence of medical staff in remote areas where government employees often avoided duties.

Ehtesham Khan clarified that outsourcing is not aimed at shutting down hospitals but at making them functional, efficient, and aligned with public expectations. The government will regulate the private firms, which will operate the hospitals within approved budgets and under official guidelines. This move, he added, is a step toward healthcare reform and aims to deliver better services in underserved regions.

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