Shehbaz Sharif Opens Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital in Islamabad

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the revamped 182-bed Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital in Islamabad on October 29, 2026. The facility was originally gifted by China as a COVID-19 isolation center but remained closed since 2020. During the ceremony, Sharif apologized to Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong for the prolonged closure, stating that public resources must be used to serve humanity rather than waste through institutional neglect.

The hospital features 50 ICU beds and will provide free medical treatment to patients from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. While the Government of Pakistan will cover all treatment and operational costs, the facility's management has been outsourced to the Indus Hospital and Health Network under a public-private partnership.

To maintain quality and accountability, Sharif ordered a third-party performance audit of the hospital. Ambassador Jiang Zaidong praised the revival of the facility and noted that the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will continue to support the economic development of Pakistan.