Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to outsource 18 more public hospitals
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is contracting out 18 more public hospitals to private operators.
- The province’s Health Foundation has outsourced 36 hospitals so far.
- Operators get a government budget every four months, subject to performance review.
- Peshawar High Court rejected petitions against the outsourcing on May 22.
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is contracting out 18 more public hospitals to private operators under its public-private partnership program. The provincial health department has decided to keep outsourcing despite legal challenges.
The province’s Health Foundation has outsourced 36 hospitals so far, and 51 more are in the pipeline.
Adviser backs the program
Retired Lt. Gen. Dr. Nigar Johar, health adviser to the governor, called the initiative excellent after a briefing by the Health Foundation, Dawn reported on Nov. 3.
“We will continue this process and remain committed to strengthening it further so that people can receive efficient, accessible and step-by-step services at their doorstep,” she said, according to officials.
The foundation has been authorized to proceed with outsourcing as planned.
How operators are chosen and paid
Dr. Khizar Hayat, the foundation’s managing director, said operators will be selected for their experience, human resources, financial position and skill in managing healthcare services.
Private operators run the outsourced hospitals and receive a government budget every four months, subject to a performance review by the health department. The department can question them on patient care and make sure equipment stays in working order.
“The government’s oversight has been strengthened for financial and administrative improvement in the outsourced hospitals,” Hayat said.
He said many outsourced hospitals have improved, and that staff who do not perform face salary deductions and, if they fail to improve, termination.
Court cleared the way
The program has drawn public anger, and some opponents went to court, arguing that public hospitals were being handed to the private sector.
On May 22, the Peshawar High Court rejected multiple petitions challenging the plan to outsource 24 public hospitals. The court said it had limited powers to interfere in government policy, and outsourcing resumed after the verdict.
Why the hospitals were picked
Officials said the government approved outsourcing 72 hospitals after a survey by the directorate-general of health services.
The survey found the facilities underperformed mostly because of staff absenteeism, triggered by broken equipment and months-long waits for small repairs. Private operators can make such decisions without the government’s lengthy process.
A lack of electricity also left X-rays and other services almost dysfunctional at some hospitals.
What it means for providers
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is turning entire hospitals over to private management, with payment tied to performance reviews. The model shifts staffing, maintenance and day-to-day operations to the operator.
Providers weighing healthcare outsourcing or HR outsourcing for clinical staffing can compare firms in OA’s list of the top healthcare outsourcing companies in India.
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Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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