Two rural Basic Health Units in Punjab and Balochistan have gone months without a doctor on duty, forcing patients, including pregnant women, to travel hours for care that should be available locally.
Multan, Punjab · Launched August 13, 2026
Live Campaign Impact
The Story
Basic Health Units meant to serve rural communities in Punjab and Balochistan are running without doctors. In Shah Rukn-e-Alam Colony on the outskirts of Multan, the BHU has had no doctor present during its official 8am to 2pm hours since around April 2026, leaving two Lady Health Visitors to staff a dispensary they cannot prescribe from, while pharmacy shelves sit empty of even paracetamol and ORS. In Absar tehsil, Kech district, the BHU has been without a Medical Officer since December 2025 despite the post being listed as filled on paper, and its vaccine refrigerator has been broken since March. In both cases pregnant women are forced to travel long distances, over 8km to Nishtar Hospital from Multan, and over two hours to Turbat District Headquarters Hospital from Kech, for care that should be available locally. Written complaints to the respective health authorities have gone unanswered for months.
Post qualified Medical Officers at both Basic Health Units on a permanent basis, restock essential medicines at the Multan facility, and repair or replace the vaccine refrigerator at the Absar BHU.
Verified Facts
The Basic Health Unit in Shah Rukn-e-Alam Colony, Multan, has had no doctor present during its official 8am to 2pm hours since around April 2026.1
Two Lady Health Visitors keep the Multan BHU dispensary open but are not authorised to prescribe or treat beyond basic first aid.2
Residents including pregnant women now travel over 8km to Nishtar Hospital for check-ups that should be handled at the local BHU.3
The Basic Health Unit in Absar tehsil, Kech district, has been without a Medical Officer since December 2025, though the Balochistan Health Department lists the post as filled.4
The Absar BHU cold chain refrigerator for vaccines has been non-functional since March.5
Evidence & Verification
Campaign Kit
What happened
Two government Basic Health Units, one in Shah Rukn-e-Alam Colony outside Multan, one in Absar tehsil, Kech district, have been left without a doctor for months. The Multan BHU has had no doctor during its 8am to 2pm hours since around April 2026, run only by two Lady Health Visitors who cannot prescribe medicine, with pharmacy shelves empty of basics like paracetamol and ORS. The Absar BHU has had no Medical Officer since December 2025, even though the post is listed as filled on paper, and its vaccine refrigerator has been broken since March.
Why it matters
These are the first point of contact for rural healthcare, and pregnant women are among those paying the price, travelling over 8km to Nishtar Hospital from Multan, or over two hours to Turbat District Headquarters Hospital from Kech, for check-ups that should happen at their local BHU. Written complaints to the District Health Authority Multan and the Balochistan Health Department have gone unanswered for months, showing this is not being tracked or acted on.
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Submitted Videos
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Community Discussion
Government & Authority Response
Punjab Health Department
Awaiting response · 12 days
Related Campaigns
TikTok caption
No doctor on duty at the Multan BHU in Shah Rukn-e-Alam Colony since April - pregnant women now travel 8km for basic care. In Absar BHU, Kech district, no Medical Officer has been posted since December, even though the post is listed as filled on paper. Rural healthcare should not depend on a paper record. #HealthForAll #FixOurBHUs #PakistanCivic #RuralHealthcare
30-second script
HOOK: Imagine walking into your local clinic and there is no doctor, not today, not for four months. BODY: That is the reality at the Basic Health Unit in Shah Rukn-e-Alam Colony, Multan, where no doctor has shown up during the official 8am to 2pm hours since around April 2026. Two Lady Health Visitors keep the doors open, but they cannot prescribe medicine, and the pharmacy shelves are empty of even paracetamol. Pregnant women now travel over 8km to Nishtar Hospital for check-ups that should happen right here. It is the same pattern in Absar, Kech district, where the Medical Officer post has been empty since December, even though it is listed as filled on paper. CTA: Tag the District Health Authority Multan and the Balochistan Health Department. Ask them when a doctor will actually show up.
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Related Campaigns
Community
Reported by @citizen_01
Submitted Videos
Asked the health unit staff where the doctor was. Answer: 'transferred, no replacement yet.' Filming this so someone finally notices. #RuralHealthPK
Followed up on the empty rural health unit story — still no doctor posted, patients turned away again this week. #RuralHealthPK
The maternity room at our tehsil health unit has been locked since spring. Women are travelling 40km to deliver. #NoDoctorsNoCare
Walked into our village BHU today — doors open, staff register empty for three months straight. This is what 'health coverage' looks like out here. #NoDoctorsNoCare #RuralHealthPK
Community Discussion