QUETTA — In a major breakthrough for child healthcare in Balochistan, over 650,000 children have received life-saving emergency treatment, thanks to a collaborative effort between the provincial government and the non-profit ChildLife Foundation.
This large-scale intervention has been driven by a combination of on-ground Emergency Rooms and an expanding network of Telemedicine Satellite Centres (TSCs) spread across the province.
At the heart of the initiative is a fully-equipped Children’s Emergency Room operating round-the-clock at Sandeman Provincial Hospital in Quetta. Surrounding it is a network of 32 telemedicine-linked TSCs embedded within secondary care hospitals, extending critical pediatric services into some of Balochistan’s most underserved districts.
ChildLife Foundation CEO Dr. Ahson Rabbani emphasized the importance of equitable healthcare access:
“A child’s right to survive shouldn’t depend on geography or income. Our partnership with the Balochistan government is transforming emergency care delivery by connecting expert pediatricians to the areas that need them most.”
The program stands out not only for its scale, but for its model—offering completely free, 24/7 emergency care to children, regardless of their background.
Healthcare infrastructure in Balochistan has long been under pressure, with remote areas often facing doctor shortages and lack of access to emergency services. By leveraging telemedicine, the partnership is effectively bypassing some of these limitations—bringing specialized care to hospitals that would otherwise lack pediatric expertise.
While challenges in rural healthcare remain, this initiative marks a promising step toward a more inclusive and responsive health system in Pakistan’s largest and most underserved province.
