Hospitals and Medical Help in Gilgit-Baltistan

Medical facilities in Gilgit-Baltistan are concentrated in two towns. In Gilgit there are the government DHQ Hospital, the region's largest, the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and the Aga Khan Medical Centre. In Skardu there are the government headquarters hospital and a CMH. Hunza has Aga Khan facilities in Aliabad and elsewhere, and most other valleys have only small health centres. Many of the places people visit are two to four hours by road from a full hospital, so plan your trip with that in mind.

This guide covers what each hospital offers, how far the main sights are from them, what to carry, and what happens in a serious emergency.

The main hospitals in Gilgit

DHQ Hospital Gilgit is the largest hospital in Gilgit-Baltistan and the main source of tertiary care in the region. It is run by the Health and Population Welfare Department of the GB government and has about 200 beds, with an upgrade to 400 beds planned.

CMH Gilgit is the military hospital, on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam in the Nagral area of the city. Combined Military Hospitals are run by the armed forces in cantonments across Pakistan. They often see civilians, particularly in emergencies, but access rules vary, so ask through your hotel or at the gate.

Aga Khan Medical Centre, Gilgit is the hub of the Aga Khan Health Service network in the region, which has worked in Gilgit-Baltistan since 1974. In November 2021 it began an expansion from 46 to 112 beds, due for 2023, adding critical care, emergency medicine, CT scanning, cardiology, dialysis, a blood bank, oxygen generation and tele-ICU links. It also runs teleconsultations, so smaller Aga Khan sites in the valleys can call on its doctors.

Skardu and Baltistan

Skardu has the main government hospital for Baltistan, the headquarters hospital, and CMH Skardu. These are the nearest proper hospitals for Shigar, Khaplu, the Hushe valley, Deosai and the start of the Baltoro treks. Khaplu, the headquarters of Ghanche district, has its own district hospital for that side of Baltistan.

Hunza

The Aga Khan Health Service broke ground in 2021 on a new 30-bed Aga Khan Health Centre in Aliabad, described as the first purpose-built, not-for-profit secondary care facility in Hunza and due to open in 2023. Ask your hotel what is currently running there, since this is the nearest place for anything beyond basic first aid in central Hunza. For serious injury or illness, Gilgit is about 100 km down the Karakoram Highway from Karimabad.

Facilities thin out further up the valley in Gojal. Passu is about 144 km from Gilgit, and the Khunjerab border is about 267 km.

How far are the sights from a hospital?

Road distances from the nearest full hospital town, measured on online routing. Real driving times on mountain roads are longer, and much longer in a slide or a jam.

Fairy Meadows adds a jeep track and a walk on top of the road distance, and Deosai, the Baltoro and the high passes are hours from any road at all.

Altitude: the problem hospitals cannot fix quickly

Much of what goes wrong on a northern trip is altitude, and the treatment for anything more than mild symptoms is to go down, not to wait for a doctor. Khunjerab is at 4,693 metres and Deosai at around 4,000, both several hours from a hospital. Our guide to altitude sickness in Gilgit-Baltistan covers the signs, and if anyone in your group has a heart or lung condition, read whether high altitude is safe for heart patients and see a doctor before booking.

What to do in an emergency

1. Call 1122. The Gilgit-Baltistan Emergency Service was set up under a 2012 GB act to handle road accidents, fires, building collapses and disasters. Our Gilgit-Baltistan emergency numbers list the other numbers to save.
2. Start moving towards Gilgit or Skardu if the patient can travel, rather than waiting in a remote valley. Local drivers know the fastest route.
3. Tell your hotel, guide or driver. They know which local health centre is staffed and open.
4. Carry ID and cash. Have the patient's CNIC or passport, any prescriptions and money for medicines and tests.

Mobile signal is patchy or absent in many valleys and on the high roads, so agree in advance where you will be and when.

Serious emergencies and evacuation

For most travellers, evacuation means a vehicle to Gilgit or Skardu. In 2015 a GB government delegation told Punjab officials that serious patients were being sent on to Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Capacity has grown since, but for specialist surgery the treating doctor may still advise a transfer, usually by road or on the next flight.

Helicopter rescue in the high mountains is flown by the military, and expeditions arrange cover through their operator before the trip. It is not an on-call service for road travellers. Our guide to helicopter rescue in Pakistan explains how it works, and our travel insurance guide covers what a policy should include.

Pharmacies and what to carry

Gilgit, Skardu, Aliabad, Karimabad and other larger towns have pharmacies for common medicines. Choice thins out quickly in smaller places, so bring:

• Any regular prescription medicine, with enough spare for a few days of delay.
• A basic first-aid kit: plasters, bandages, antiseptic, painkillers, oral rehydration salts and stomach medicine. Our first-aid kit list has the full set.
• Altitude medicine only if a doctor has prescribed it for you before the trip.
• A copy of any medical history that a doctor would need, especially for heart, lung or diabetic conditions.

Is Gilgit-Baltistan safe for travellers with health conditions?

For most people, yes, with planning. Base yourself in Gilgit, Hunza or Skardu, keep high-altitude days short, and choose day trips over remote overnight stays. The real risks are distance and altitude rather than the quality of care in the main towns. Anyone with a serious heart or lung condition, late pregnancy or a recent operation should speak to a doctor first, and may be better off avoiding Khunjerab, Deosai and multi-day treks. Our travel guide covers the wider planning.

Frequently asked questions