slug: “pak-china-friendship-hospital-islamabad-october-2026”
category: “Islamabad”
headline: “Pak-China Friendship Hospital Set for Oct 27 Opening”
seo_title: “Pak-China Friendship Hospital Set for Oct 27 Opening”
meta_description: “The Pak-China Friendship Hospital in Islamabad opens on October 27, turning the COVID-era isolation facility in Chak Shahzad into a general hospital.”
focus_keyphrase: “Pak-China Friendship Hospital”
image_url: “hourly-2232-pak-china-friendship-hospital-islamabad-october-2026.webp”
image_credit: “ARY News”
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Pak-China Friendship Hospital Set for Oct 27 Opening
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to inaugurate the Pak-China Friendship Hospital in Islamabad on October 27. The 250-bed facility in Chak Shahzad was built as an isolation hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will now reopen as a general hospital serving residents of the area.
The hospital has been renamed the Pak-China Friendship Hospital on the instructions of the prime minister. The Ministry of National Health Services and the Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre had initially decided to call it Margalla Hospital, but the name changed in recognition of China’s contribution to the project.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal told The News that the hospital was built with Chinese assistance. “The hospital was built with Chinese assistance, and the prime minister has directed that it should be named Pak-China Friendship Hospital,” he said.
How the hospital will run as a general hospital
The health ministry and the hospital management have decided to run the facility as a general hospital. Its isolation facility will operate under a public-private partnership. The health ministry had earlier signed an agreement with the Indus Hospital and Health Network for the management of the isolation facility.
The change matters most for people living nearby. The hospital will now provide general healthcare services to residents of Chak Shahzad and surrounding areas, instead of sitting deactivated as it did after the pandemic ended.
Built in 40 days during the first COVID wave
The hospital was set up in 2020 during the first wave of COVID-19. China donated $4 million for the project. It was built by the Frontier Works Organisation in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority and the National Institute of Health in 40 days, at a reported total cost of around Rs980 million.
Then prime minister Imran Khan inaugurated the facility on July 9, 2020. After the pandemic ended, the hospital was deactivated because of operational challenges, including a shortage of medical staff.
The reopening comes weeks after plans were announced for a new 167-bed hospital in Islamabad offering free treatment. Together, the two projects point to fresh capacity for the capital’s public health system, with the Chak Shahzad facility filling a gap for communities on the city’s outskirts.
Related coverage: Federal JIT Sought to Probe Valika Hospital HIV Cases, Islamabad Police Leave Rules Give Weekly Day Off, No Trees to Be Cut in F-9 Park Upgrade. Sources: ProPakistani, The News, ARY News.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Pak-China Friendship Hospital open?
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to inaugurate the hospital on October 27, 2026.
Where is the Pak-China Friendship Hospital?
The 250-bed facility stands in Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, where it was built as an isolation hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why was the hospital renamed?
It was renamed from Margalla Hospital on the prime minister’s instructions, in recognition of China’s financial assistance for building it.
Who will run the hospital?
It will run as a general hospital, while its isolation facility will operate under a public-private partnership, with the Indus Hospital and Health Network involved in managing the isolation side.
