Health sector — Kohat Division
Five districts — Hangu, Karak, Kohat, Kurram, and Orakzai — facility overview, named hospitals, and health indicators for this energy-rich but chronically under-served division of 3.75 million people.
Facilities overview (division total)
Kohat Division has a total of 272 health institutions across its 5 districts — 30 hospitals (2,062 beds), 98 civil dispensaries, 11 Rural Health Centers (146 beds), and 107 Basic Health Units — plus 337 private medical practitioners serving the division’s 3.75 million population. Health overload remains a key challenge, with specialist and diagnostic-equipment gaps especially pronounced at the division’s two headquarters hospitals in Kohat city.
| Category | Division total |
|---|---|
| Hospitals (beds) | 30 (2,062) |
| Dispensaries | 98 |
| Rural Health Centers (beds) | 11 (146) |
| Basic Health Units | 107 |
| MCH / Child Health Centers | 7 |
| TB / Leprosy Clinics | 19 |
| Total health facilities | 272 |
| Private medical practitioners (not counted in total above) | 337 |
Note: Kohat Division has just 0.38 hospital beds per 1,000 people and 1 teaching/specialized hospital, compared with 1.15 beds per 1,000 and 14 teaching/specialized hospitals in neighboring Peshawar District.
This data is for the entire Kohat Division (5 districts).
Facility breakdown by type and district
| Facility type | Division total | Hangu | Karak | Kohat | Kurram | Orakzai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitals (beds) | 30 (2,062) | 6 (266) | 8 (532) | 7 (522) | 4 (472) | 5 (270) |
| Dispensaries | 98 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 47 | 30 |
| Rural Health Centers (beds) | 11 (146) | 1 (10) | 5 (40) | 4 (88) | — | 1 (8) |
| Basic Health Units | 107 | 14 | 19 | 29 | 22 | 23 |
| MCH / Child Health Centers | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 SHC* | 1 MCH + 1 Child | 2 Child |
| TB / Leprosy Clinics | 19 | TB 4 | TB 1 | TB 1, Leprosy 1 | TB 3 | TB 9 |
| Private medical practitioners | 337 | 28 | 7 | 54 | 114 | 134 |
*Note: Kohat district reports 3 Sub-Health Centers (SHC) in place of a separate MCH line. A dash (—) indicates Kurram has no Rural Health Center reported. Kurram and Orakzai figures reflect the 2020–21 statistical cycle (post-2018 FATA merger); Hangu, Karak, and Kohat use 2018–19 data.
Facility Types — Division Counts
BHUs by District
Kohat leads with 29 BHUs, followed by Orakzai (23) and Kurram (22); Hangu has the fewest with 14.
Hospital Beds by District
Karak has the division’s highest hospital bed count (532), followed closely by Kohat (522); Hangu has the fewest (266).
Named & major hospitals — Kohat Division
Named hospitals are documented for Hangu, Kohat, and Karak. DHQ-level hospitals also exist in Kurram and Orakzai as part of each district’s hospital count above, but the source (KP Development Statistics) does not name them or split them into DHQ/THQ categories.
| District | Hospital | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hangu | Farid Khan Shaheed DHQ Hospital | 132+ beds after recent upgrades; Thall THQ offers limited Type–D facilities |
| Kohat | Liaquat Memorial Hospital (LMH) | Divisional-headquarters facility |
| Kohat | DHQ Teaching Hospital, KDA Kohat | Main tertiary referral hospital; 449 beds (410 functional); ~1,500 patients daily |
| Karak | DHQ Hospital, Karak (KDA Karak) | District HQ hospital; referral before DHQ/CMH Kohat |
| Kurram | DHQ-level hospital (unnamed in source) | Part of Kurram’s 4 hospitals (472 beds) |
| Orakzai | DHQ-level hospital (unnamed in source) | Part of Orakzai’s 5 hospitals (270 beds) |
DHQ Teaching Hospital, KDA Kohat
Divisional headquarters / main tertiary referral hospital for Kohat Division.
- Beds: 449 total, with 410 functional
- Catchment: Serves District Kohat plus adjoining Karak, Hangu, Orakzai and Kurram
- Patient load: About 1,500 patients daily across OPD and A&E
- Location: Plateau at foot of Kohat Pass hills, ~5 km NE of old city, 242 kanals
- History: Inaugurated 12.09.2000 as Divisional HQ Hospital; teaching institute for KIMS 2005; Category-B then Category-A 2012; infra completed Aug 2017
- Teaching: KMU-IMS Kohat; CPSP FCPS in Gynae/Obs, Medicine, Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology
- Notes: Functioning emergency, CT, ECG; bed shortages, staff strikes, frequent referrals to Peshawar common
DHQ Hospital, Karak (KDA Karak)
District HQ hospital; referral before DHQ/CMH Kohat.
- Services: General medicine, 24/7 ED + ambulance, OTs (general, lap, ortho, peds, gynae, oncology, reconstructive)
- Diagnostics: X-Ray, US, CT, MRI, path lab, endoscopy, ECG, micro
- Pharmacy: 24/7
- Staffing caveat: KP list shows 0 MOs, 2 dental, 6 RNs — treat as partial/outdated
- Nearby: Women & Children (Cat-C), THQ Banda Dawud Shah, Type-C/D units (Terri, Gurguri, Takhti Nasrati, Latamber, Sabir Abad)
Data gap: No Kohat Division-specific health budget allocation figure is available in the source — only the overall 5.8% share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s FY2025–26 development budget (all sectors) is given.
Health indicators — Kohat Division vs. Peshawar District
| Indicator | Kohat Division | Peshawar District |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 0.38 | 1.15 |
| Teaching & specialized hospitals | 1 | 14 |
| Health professionals per 1,000 people | 0.45 | 1.62 |
| Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births) | 68 | 44 |
| Under-5 child mortality (per 1,000 live births) | 82 | 53 |
| Children stunted growth (under five) | 40% | 33% |
| Wasting (under five) | 11.2% | 8.1% |
Note: Despite sitting atop massive oil, gas, and gypsum reserves, Kohat Division trails Peshawar District on beds per capita, health professional density, and specialist/teaching hospital access, with infant and under-5 mortality substantially higher — underscoring the case for greater health investment across the division.
Note: Kohat Division’s health facilities are managed under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department. Data is compiled from Kohat Division health-sector reporting — 272 institutional facilities across hospitals, dispensaries, RHC, BHU, MCH/Child Health, and TB/Leprosy tiers, plus 337 private medical practitioners — and district profiles (figures are latest reported and may vary with ongoing upgrades). High patient loads, specialist shortages, and diagnostic-equipment constraints remain common challenges across the division’s headquarters hospitals in Kohat city.