- The government sees health tourism as a way to advance healthcare, tourism, and economic prosperity together
ISLAMABAD 11 AUGUST 2026 (Agencies) – The government is preparing an ambitious plan to turn the country into a regional hub for global health tourism, targeting up to $10 billion in annual revenue within five years. The initiative, developed by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Ministry of Health, and Health Tourism Working Group, aims to attract patients worldwide with quality treatment at lower costs. The government sees health tourism as a way to advance healthcare, tourism, and economic prosperity together.
India and Turkiye already have established medical hubs, with thousands travelling for treatment, so Pakistan has successful models to look to as it develops its own health tourism sector.
Pakistan has three advantages, says Ali Ehsan of the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy: many qualified doctors, a developed private medical sector, and the fact that medicine in Pakistan is very westernised, with many doctors holding foreign qualifications.
Future export markets include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain due to high demand, good air links, and existing ties, according to Dr Muhammad Muhammadi, Security and Strategic Analyst at Shanghai International Studies University.
Beyond economics, both experts agree that medical tourism is a tool of diplomacy that can deepen regional relations and improve Pakistan’s modern image abroad.
The plan builds on groundwork laid earlier this year. Pakistan formally launched the Pakistan National Medical Tourism Initiative under SIFC in April, during the annual conference of the Pakistan Association of Plastic Surgeons in Islamabad, an event attended by Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri and SIFC officials. A National Health Tourism Working Group was subsequently constituted in May to draft a comprehensive national strategy, which has now produced the five-year, $10 billion target.
Pakistan’s push comes as it seeks a share of a rapidly expanding global industry. The medical tourism market was valued at $144.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $704.8 billion by 2033, growing at more than 19 percent annually, with cosmetic and aesthetic surgery, dentistry, and fertility and bariatric procedures accounting for nearly 60 percent of global demand.
Officials have identified Bangladesh as a particularly promising market, noting that roughly 800,000 Bangladeshi patients spend an estimated $6 billion each year on treatment abroad. Pakistan is aiming to capture a portion of that outbound spending by offering competitive pricing alongside its healthcare workforce, which produces more than 25,000 medical graduates annually and includes over 52,000 specialists, many trained in the UK, US, or Gulf states.