Lack of Medical Facilities Makes Life Difficult for People in Gilgit Baltistan

Gilgit Baltistan, 11 August 2015-: People in Gilgit Baltistan often have nothing to fall back on if a family member falls sick. A serious illness and the costs involved in treatment can destroy households as the public-sector healthcare facilities here are in shambles. People in the remote region of Gilgit Baltistan, illegally occupied by Pakistan for decades, have little means to get themselves treated in case of serious illnesses. Officially there are 14 doctors over an area of 27,000 sq miles but in actual terms even those are not available at work. Gilgit, the main town, has only one city hospital which is visited by at least 2000 patients on a daily basis. However, this hospital also remains poorly staffed, poorly equipped and unable to meet the needs. The medical infrastructure has been the same for decades as the Pakistan government has not been able to allocate sufficient funding for better healthcare facilities in these areas. Even the medicines that are purchased in bulk are