Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has been working with Sehat Kahani, a digital healthcare and telemedicine platform that connects patients with qualified doctors through a mobile app and physical e-clinics, to launch a telemedicine-enabled basic health unit in Gokina, Islamabad. The center uses secure video consultations, electronic medical records, digital prescriptions, and pharmacy management systems.

The government expanded the initiative when the federal health minister opened a second digitalized telemedicine center at Bhambar Tarar, near Islamabad. The area had a basic health unit, but lacked a posted doctor, according to the Ministry of Health. Previously, residents previously needed more than an hour to reach major hospitals in Islamabad.

The new center allows residents to receive medical consultations locally. Healthcare workers can also refer patients who need more advanced treatment to tertiary hospitals.

The government also has an agreement with Sehat Kahani under which 5,000 online doctors will provide remote consultations. The government has characterized telemedicine as a permanent part of Pakistan’s national healthcare system and plans to establish 10 telemedicine centers.

This is significant because healthcare access in rural Pakistan faces substantial barriers. The World Bank estimates that about 60.5% of Pakistan’s population lived in rural areas in 2025. Rural communities also experience higher poverty rates than urban communities, which makes the cost and accessibility of health services especially critical.

For some rural patients, it takes a long journey to reach a hospital or specialist. Transportation costs can add another burden for families with limited incomes. For people living in poverty, the cost of traveling to a distant hospital can also mean sacrificing money needed for food or other household necessities. Workers who depend on daily wages may also lose income when they have to spend a day traveling for medical care. These barriers can discourage people from seeking care or cause them to delay treatment.

Healthcare costs can create an additional burden for low-income families. According to the World Bank, poverty remains significantly higher in rural areas than in urban areas of Pakistan. This makes improved access to healthcare important not only for people’s health but also to protect vulnerable families from additional financial pressure.

Telemedicine can address part of this problem. A 2024 study in “Frontiers in Public Health” found that telehealth can reduce travel-related costs and time while improving access to healthcare for people in rural and isolated areas.

But telemedicine cannot replace every form of medical care. Doctors still need to examine some patients in person and communities need reliable internet access, digital devices, and trained health workers to use telemedicine effectively.

Still, Pakistan’s recent initiatives show the benefits of combining digital services with local health facilities. Instead of requiring every patient to travel to a major city, a local health center can connect patients with doctors elsewhere while nurses provide in-person support.

Telemedicine in Pakistan can also help reduce some of the financial burden associated with traveling long distances for healthcare. For low-income families, avoiding unnecessary transportation expenses and reducing time away from work can make medical consultations more accessible.

The experience in Sehat Kahani also demonstrates that telemedicine can operate at scale. Its platform has already delivered about one million consultations while its network of doctors continues to connect patients with medical professionals across Pakistan.

As Pakistan expands its digital health infrastructure, the goal is for telemedicine to help reduce some of the geographic and financial barriers that affect underserved communities. Bringing qualified doctors closer to patients through technology, shows how the country can move toward a healthcare system where access depends less on a person’s location or ability to travel and improve healthcare access in rural Pakistan.