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A quiet crisis is unfolding in the heart of Rawalpindi. It rarely makes headlines, yet it affects the lives of thousands every day. It is not about roads, housing schemes or real estate development. It is about healthcare — and who can afford it.
Step into any of the public hospitals, and you’ll see queues of the patients that begin at dawn and stretch into the evening.
You will find some cradling infants, others leaning on relatives, wait patiently for their turn that may never come as these facilities can’t cater to the growing needs of the expanding city and it’s increasing population.
“Our OPD remains crowded everyday and we fail to keep count of the number of patients we encounter on a daily basis. There simply aren’t enough doctors or beds,” says a junior doctor at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, requesting anonymity.
