Islamabad: Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. has reported a record annual profit of Rs. 2.23 billion for FY25 — a staggering 68 percent jump that underscores its dominance as Pakistan’s most powerful private healthcare provider but also fuels a growing debate on whether such profits are being built on the back of unaffordable treatment for ordinary patients.
The hospital, which announced a cash dividend of Rs. 5 per share, insists its financial strength reflects patient trust and staff dedication, yet critics argue it symbolizes how private healthcare is fast slipping out of reach for the majority.
In its official statement, the hospital said financial sustainability was crucial to continue investing in technology, professionals and service expansion, while stressing that it pays heavily into the national exchequer, contributing Rs. 4.57 billion in direct and indirect taxes this year alone.
It also highlighted its role as a major employer with 6,112 staff, claiming to provide fair compensation, professional growth and a respectable working environment.
Established in 1993 under the vision of Dr. Zaheer Ahmad, Shifa has expanded from a modest facility to a quaternary care hospital with more than 550 beds, renowned for advanced procedures such as organ transplants and high-end diagnostics.
Its footprint now extends through satellite centers, pharmacies and diagnostic networks across the country, with new projects including a full-fledged hospital in Faisalabad.
The management also underlined Shifa’s social contribution through free medical camps in disaster and conflict-hit areas, regular screenings for chronic diseases and subsidized services through Shifa Foundation, which provides free consultations to nearly 4,000 patients each month.
These efforts, it said, were part of its ethical and compassionate approach to healthcare delivery.
But the celebratory tone over record profits sits uneasily with thousands of patients who say the hospital’s charges for consultations, diagnostics and surgeries remain prohibitively high.
Critics maintain that Shifa’s model, while raising the bar for medical quality, caters primarily to the affluent and sidelines middle and low-income families who are left to struggle with inadequate public sector facilities. Even the subsidized care through its foundation, they argue, cannot match the overwhelming demand for affordable treatment.
Shifa’s financial success may signal a thriving private health sector, but it also sharpens the uncomfortable question: is world-class healthcare in Pakistan becoming a business for the few, rather than a lifeline for the many?
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