By Sardar Khan Niazi

Pakistan’s healthcare system has been under strain for years. The current state of health services in the country, plagued by chronic underfunding, mismanagement, and a growing burden of disease, has reached a tipping point. This crisis is not just a matter of policy; it is a matter of life and death for millions of Pakistanis facing inadequate care, lack of resources, and increasingly diminished access to essential services. If this situation continues, the consequences will be catastrophic. The current state of healthcare in Pakistan reflects the failure of successive governments to provide accessible, equitable, and high-quality medical services to its citizens. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan spends just 2.6% of its GDP on healthcare, one of the lowest in the world. This has resulted in a healthcare infrastructure that is grossly inadequate to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. The chronic underfunding of the healthcare sector is perhaps the most glaring issue. Despite pledges to increase funding, the reality is that the country’s health budget has been insufficient to meet the growing needs of a population now exceeding 230 million. A significant portion of the healthcare budget goes towards administrative costs, with little left to address the core issues, such as improving hospitals, purchasing medical equipment, and ensuring that healthcare workers are adequately compensated and trained. Pakistan’s health crisis is also exacerbated by the growing burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition remains a major issue, with one in three children under the age of five stunted, leading to long-term developmental and health problems. Diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and hepatitis are rampant in many parts of the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas. These illnesses, coupled with the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, place an unsustainable burden on an already overextended health system. The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country, largely due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, poses another grave threat. AMR could lead to a future where even the most basic infections become untreatable, further straining the healthcare system. One of the most concerning aspects of the current health crisis in Pakistan is the deepening disparity in access to healthcare services. Urban centers like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad may have some level of access to quality healthcare, but rural areas remain largely underserved. The lack of functional healthcare facilities in rural regions forces many to travel long distances to access even basic services, leading to delayed treatments and preventable deaths. Even within urban centers, healthcare is often a privilege reserved for those who can afford private services. Public hospitals, which cater to the majority of the population, are overcrowded, underfunded, and staffed with underpaid workers. The result is a system that leaves many people without timely or adequate medical care. It is essential to allocate this funding wisely, ensuring that resources are directed toward improving infrastructure, increasing the number of trained healthcare workers, and making essential medicines and treatments affordable and accessible to all.  Transparent procurement practices, accountability for mismanagement, and the elimination of wasteful expenditure are necessary steps to ensure that every rupee allocated to healthcare is used effectively. Moreover, public-private partnerships can play a significant role in expanding access to quality healthcare. The government must incentivize private healthcare providers to invest in underserved areas and offer subsidized services to low-income patients. Furthermore, telemedicine and digital health platforms offer a viable solution to bridge the urban-rural divide and ensure that remote areas can access quality care. Pakistan cannot afford to continue neglecting this issue, as the health of its people is inextricably linked to its future prosperity.