PM Shehbaz inaugurates Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital

PM Shehbaz announced that the government would take responsibility for the hospital’s entire expenditure to ensure patients could access medical services without paying for treatment. He said providing better healthcare facilities to the public was the state’s responsibility and stressed that patients travelling from different parts of Pakistan would also be able to benefit from the facility.

The prime minister said the Indus Hospital administration had offered reasonable concessions in the hospital’s annual operating expenses and investment requirements. He added that Indus Hospital was providing medical services on a non-profit basis. "This hospital was donated by the government and people of China, reflecting President Xi Jinping’s vision of shared goals and destiny among nations worldwide.

The hospital served a vital purpose during COVID-19 but became completely redundant afterwards, reflecting our indifferent attitude and lack of interest towards the poor, needy and vulnerable. Excellency, I apologise for this gap since 2020.

Upon learning about the hospital through a newspaper, I immediately called Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and directed him to revive it. The government of Pakistan will bear the entire cost of patients’ medical treatment, while management will be outsourced.

" ~Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses the inauguration ceremony of the Pak-China Friendship Hospital, Islamabad— Government of Pakistan (@Govtof. Pakistan)October 29, 2026Shehbaz Sharif also made it clear that the facility would permanently retain the name Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital, describing public service in the healthcare sector as one of the most important forms of national service.

He said those who served humanity and cared for people in distress would continue to receive the public’s prayers and appreciation. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, who also addressed the ceremony, said the Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital had become a reality through the prime minister’s personal interest and patronage.

He welcomed the decision to name the facility the Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital, describing it as a fitting recognition of the close ties between the two countries. The ambassador also praised Pakistan’s progress under Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, saying the country had achieved notable successes.

He pointed to improvements in Pakistan’s credit ratings by international rating agencies. Jiang Zaidong said the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would play an important role in Pakistan’s economic development and public prosperity.

The hospital’s inauguration underscored the two countries’ continued cooperation, with the facility set to provide free healthcare services under the government’s funding commitment. At the conclusion of his address, Shehbaz Sharif raised the slogan “Long live Pakistan-China friendship”, reaffirming the longstanding relationship between the two nations.