Hospitals and Medical Help in Gilgit-Baltistan

Medical facilities in Gilgit-Baltistan are concentrated in Gilgit and Skardu, where district headquarters hospitals, a Combined Military Hospital and Aga Khan health facilities handle most serious cases, while smaller towns and valleys have only basic clinics or none at all. Anyone travelling with an existing health condition, or simply travelling to altitude, should plan around this rather than assuming help is close by everywhere.

This guide covers what exists, where, and what it means in practice if something goes wrong away from the main towns.

The main hospitals

• DHQ Hospital, Gilgit, the largest general hospital in the region, providing the widest range of tertiary care available in Gilgit-Baltistan.
• Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Gilgit, a military-run hospital that also treats civilians, with 24-hour emergency care.
• Regional Headquarters Hospital and CMH, Skardu, the main hospitals for Baltistan, again with round-the-clock emergency facilities.
• Aga Khan Health Service facilities, a network of clinics and hospitals along the Hunza valley and elsewhere in Gilgit-Baltistan, including a health centre in Karimabad and outreach centres in smaller villages, run by the Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan.

Outside these two hubs, most towns and valleys (Karimabad, Passu, Khaplu, Shigar, Astore, Naltar and the rest) have a basic health centre or clinic at most, geared toward common illness and minor injury rather than serious trauma or a medical emergency.

What this means for altitude and remote travel

If you're heading up to Khunjerab Pass, onto the Deosai plateau, or into any of the higher side valleys, you are travelling well beyond reliable medical help for the length of that day or trek. The standard advice for altitude problems, whether mild breathlessness or something more serious, is the same regardless of what facilities exist nearby: go down. Our guide to altitude sickness in Gilgit-Baltistan covers symptoms and what to do in more detail.

For anything beyond what a hotel or guesthouse can handle with a basic first-aid kit, the realistic plan is:

• Get back to the nearest town with a proper clinic or hospital (Gilgit, Skardu, or in Hunza the Aga Khan health centre) rather than waiting for help to come to you.
• Tell your driver or guide immediately if you're travelling with one; local drivers generally know the fastest route to the nearest facility better than a map does.
• Call Rescue 1122 for anything serious enough to need it. Our guide to emergency numbers in Gilgit-Baltistan has the full list of numbers to save before you travel.

Oxygen and altitude-specific care

Larger hospitals in Gilgit and Skardu, and the bigger Aga Khan facilities, have oxygen available for genuine emergencies, but this is not something to build a trip plan around, particularly in smaller valleys. If anyone in your group has a heart or lung condition, or a history of altitude sickness, the sensible approach is to ask a doctor before the trip, not after arriving at 4,000 metres with no easy way back down quickly.

Pharmacies and everyday medicine

Basic pharmacies exist in Gilgit, Skardu, Karimabad and the other larger towns, stocking common medication for altitude headaches, stomach upsets and minor injuries. Selection thins out fast in smaller places, so carry a basic kit and any regular prescription medication with you rather than assuming you can buy it locally, especially once you're a day's drive from Gilgit or Skardu.

Serious emergencies and evacuation

For a genuinely serious injury or medical event in a remote location, evacuation realistically means getting the patient to the nearest road and then to Gilgit or Skardu by whatever transport is fastest, which in practice is usually a vehicle rather than air evacuation. Helicopter rescue exists in the region for mountaineering expeditions and is arranged through specific channels well in advance; it is not a service a day tourist should expect to be able to call on short notice. This is one more reason to treat altitude, weather and remote roads with real caution rather than pushing on when someone in the group is struggling.

Our travel guide has more on planning safely around altitude, road conditions and remote travel in the region.

Frequently asked questions