Table 1.
Types and characteristics of public health facilities in Pakistan
| Facility type | Facility level | Characteristics of Health Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Under Department of Health | ||
| Tertiary care hospital/Teaching hospital | Tertiary | Tertiary/Teaching Hospitals provide specialised care facilities receiving population from across provinces |
| District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) | Secondary | DHQs cater to the entire population of the district |
| Tehsil Headquarter Hospital (THQ) | Secondary | THQs cater to the entire population of the tehsil |
| Rural Health Centre (RHC) | Primary | Serve an estimated catchment size of 40,000-80,000; providing Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and New born Services (CEmONC) |
| Basic health unit | Primary | Serve an estimated catchment size of 5000–25,000 providing delivery services |
| Basic health unit 24/7 | Primary | Serve an estimated catchment size of 5000–25,000 providing Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Services (BEmONC) |
| Maternal child health centre (MCH/MNCH) | Primary | Provide Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Services (BEmONC) |
| Medical centre | Primary | Basic health services and referral |
| Other specialised clinic | Primary | Specialised clinics provide limited services pertaining to TB, etc. |
| First Aid Point (FAP) | Primary | Provide First Aid health services and referral |
| Dispensary | Primary | Provide basic health services and referral |
| Under Provincial Population Welfare Departments and provide only reproductive health services | ||
| Reproductive health service A (RHS-A) | Secondary | Provide all reproductive health services including surgical interventions like implants and permanent methods, housed within tertiary level facilities |
| Reproductive health service B (RHS-B) | Secondary | Run by NGOs but are registered with the population welfare department; RHS-B centres provide the same set of services as the RHS-A centres |
| Family welfare centre (FWC) | Primary | Provide Family Planning services including Oral contraceptive pills, Injectables and Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUDs) but do not provide implants and surgical methods |
| Mobile service unit | Primary | Responsible for providing services in areas with limited access to even PHC Family Planning services. These provide the same set of services as FWCs |