PESHAWAR: Located in the heart of Peshawar – Nishtarabad – Government General Hospital (GGH) is a public sector health institution in a role model for medical facilities. has emerged as a success in changing that provides fair and effective treatment to people at a very modest cost. Fees only Rs 10 per visit.
Managed by the Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF), a specialized healthcare agency, GGH operates under the KP government’s initiative to outsource selected public sector hospitals to private institutions. This partnership has enabled the hospital to offer almost free medical services to hundreds of patients every day.
“The hospital provides a wide range of services, including outpatient departments (OPD) for general and specialized care, various departments such as surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology, and ophthalmology, accident and emergency (A&E) care, operation theatres. Inpatient Department (IPD). Labor rooms, laboratory services, pharmacy, and EPI (Extended Program on Immunization) services,” said Deputy Medical Superintendent of GGH, Dr. Qazi. Shahbaz said while talking to Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). Under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, MERF oversees health facilities in the five merged districts of KP. The main objective is to make these hospitals functional and ensure delivery of high quality, affordable health care services to the public.
Since MERF took over control of GGH four years ago, the hospital has seen significant improvement in service delivery, making it a lifeline for the residents of Peshawar and the surrounding communities.
MERF focuses on increasing access to quality health care that is equitable, efficient and affordable, working with governments, international organizations and the private sector.
Its services span healthcare delivery, workforce capacity building, healthcare governance, supply chain management, health information systems, and policy development. During the visit to GGH, there was a significant influx of patients, from the elderly to children and women, all benefiting from the hospital’s affordable, high-quality care.
One of the prominent facilities of the hospital is the mammography X-ray machine, which is used for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. In 2024 alone, 492 patients accessed this vital service for just Rs 10, a fraction of the Rs 15,000 usually charged by private facilities.
Last year, GGH’s gynecology OPD cared for 36,547 female patients, resulting in 2,163 deliveries. These include 650 gynecological surgeries and 424 C-sections—all provided at a nominal fee of Rs 10, with free medicines provided by the hospital pharmacy. Patients also benefited from 15,505 ultrasounds and 379,864 laboratory tests for diagnostic purposes.
Since October 2024, the hospital’s newly introduced emergency services have treated 7,346 patients in just three months. Dr. Shabazz disclosed that MERF’s management contract for GGH was initially fixed for three years, with strong possibilities of extension.
It encouraged people, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to avail of the hospital’s affordable, high-quality healthcare services. Several patients interviewed confirmed affordability, saying they paid just Rs 10 for admission with no additional charges.
The transformation of GGH under MERF’s mandate stands as a testament to the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in revolutionizing healthcare access and affordability.