Shortage of pediatric emergency beds in Karachi hospitals leaves hundreds of children without timely treatment.

Karachi and Sindh government hospitals have fewer than 450 pediatric emergency beds. The beds are shared among a population of 1.9 million children under one year and 9.5 million under five. Civil Hospital in Karachi holds 30 beds and sees more than 100 children each day. The National Institute of Child Health, also in Karachi, has 68 beds but receives over 400 children daily. Other hospitals report similar mismatches: Lyari General – 30 beds, Abbasi Shaheed – 35, Sindh Government Korangi – 40, Sindh Governor North Karachi – 10; Hyderabad – 30, Larkana – 60, Sukkur – 35, Khairpur – 35, and Nawabshah – 40. The Sindh Health Department shifted pediatric emergency services to a non‑governmental organization (NGO) a decade ago. The NGO runs emergency departments in six Karachi hospitals and four district hospitals and receives about Rs 2.40 billion a year. It reports the same 450 beds across the ten hospitals, with no major increase in capacity. Parents say they are forced to seek costly private care. One mother in Saddar had her seven‑month‑old daughter turned away at NICH because no beds were available. Many families describe overcrowding and multiple children sharing a single bed, or being denied medical assessment. Costs at private hospitals now range from Rs 2,000–Rs 5,000 for a pediatric consultation and require Rs 100,000–Rs 200,000 as an advance fee for ICU admission, with daily ICU costs reaching Rs 80,000–Rs 100,000, excluding medications. Between July 2025 and June 2026, the NGO’s emergency centres treated about 720,000 children free of charge in the ten hospitals. The centres are monitored remotely by specialists who guide doctors on critical cases. Experts note that low vaccination coverage and increased use of infant formula contribute to higher childhood illnesses, which pressure the already limited facilities. The province’s neonatal mortality is about 29 deaths per 1,000 live births. The Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology, operating 13 hospitals including the Children’s Hospital Korangi, has a combined capacity of 879 beds for children and newborns. These shortages exemplify the strain on public hospitals and the rising reliance on expensive private care for children in Sindh.