The China-assisted Pak-China Friendship Hospital in Gwadar has completed its first year of operations, offering modern healthcare services free of charge to over 1,300 patients daily. As the only facility of its kind within a 500-kilometer radius, the hospital has dramatically transformed healthcare access in the region.
To commemorate the one-year milestone on May 2, a ceremony was held at the hospital, attended by Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) Director General Saif Ullah Khaithran and Major General Adnan Sarwar Malik. The hospital, jointly managed by the GDA and operated by the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN), has become a cornerstone of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) health collaboration.
“Over 90% of patients now receive top-tier medical services locally, without incurring any cost,” said DG Khaithran. “We’ve ensured 24/7 ambulance support for emergency transfers to Karachi when needed.”
The 100-bed facility currently offers 11 active clinical services, staffed by qualified doctors, nurses, and paramedics. In its first year, the hospital has provided critical care to:
- Over 60,000 patients in family medicine and outpatient departments
- More than 30,000 pediatric patients
- 18,000+ emergency cases
- 16,000 visits in obstetrics, gynecology, and child health
- 1,260 successful deliveries
- 5,000+ patients treated in general surgery and orthopedics
- 600 surgeries performed across specialties
The hospital’s modern infrastructure includes CT scanners, X-ray machines, diagnostic labs, and a newly launched transfusion department. It also offers a "one-stop service platform” that provides free medication and meals to inpatients.
Funded by China’s Ministry of Commerce at a cost of $30.5 million, the eight-acre facility was developed under the CPEC and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It now stands as a flagship model of Sino-Pak cooperation in healthcare.
Beyond Gwadar, the hospital serves patients from across Balochistan, significantly reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates, and improving immunization coverage. Its state-of-the-art facilities and quality care continue to attract patients from outside the region, reflecting a broader regional impact.
