{
  "id": 20137677,
  "title": "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hospitals Face Doctor Shortage",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/khyber-pakhtunkhwa-hospitals-face-doctor-shortage",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-15T06:59:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/11/15/kp-only-8024-doctors-40-million-people/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa currently employs just 8,024 doctors, despite hosting a population of over 40 million people. This translates to roughly one doctor per 5,000 to 6,000 residents—a shortage that has led to numerous government health facilities becoming non-functional across the province. In addition to this, public hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also grappling with a severe shortage of beds. Currently, there are only 18,432 beds available, whereas the population's requirement stands at approximately 64,000. Consequently, hospitals find themselves lacking over 45,000 beds, providing less than a third of the capacity needed.\n\nThe World Health Organization suggests a doctor-to-population ratio of 1:1,000. According to this benchmark, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would necessitate around 40,000 doctors, which is nearly five times the current count. Lt. Gen. (R) Nigar Johar, the KP Health Adviser, disclosed during a briefing that the government plans to amend the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Act and conduct hospital audits. She also affirmed that the Sehat Card program would not be discontinued; instead, its shortcomings will be addressed, and the scheme will be enhanced. Recently, the province decided to carry out a financial audit of the Sehat Card program. Earlier, the provincial government also initiated fast-track construction of new hospitals; however, the latest figures underscore the significant gap between demand and the available medical care.",
  "summary": "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has only 8,024 doctors for a population of more than 40 million, leaving roughly one doctor for every … Read More The post Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hospitals Face Doctor Shortage appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}