The India-Pakistan conflict has reached a new, heartbreaking level. Following the Pahalgam attack, cross-border medical travel between India and Pakistan has been stopped. Thousands of Pakistani patients, who relied on Indian hospitals for life-saving treatments, are now left stranded with nowhere to turn.
By Dr. Ashish Panwar | April 26, 2025
Thousands of Pakistani Patients Left Without Treatment as India Freezes Medical Visas
Thousands of Pakistani Patients Loosing: The Cost of Political Tensions
For years, India has been the destination for Pakistani citizens needing complex medical treatments—everything from heart surgeries to cancer treatments. But after the recent attack and growing political tensions, India has halted all medical visas for Pakistani nationals, leaving these patients with no option for care.
“We used to see 25-30 patients from Pakistan every month. Now, there is no one,” said a senior official from Max Healthcare.
Real Patients, Real Pain: Lives at Risk
Consider the case of Rashid, a 50-year-old man from Lahore, who was scheduled for an emergency heart surgery in Chennai. He had been preparing for the procedure for months, hoping it would extend his life. Now, with the freeze on medical visas, Rashid has no chance of getting the surgery he needs. Without the procedure, his life is at serious risk. Rashid’s story is just one of many.
Then there’s Sana, a 9-year-old girl from Lahore. She had been diagnosed with leukemia and had already undergone initial rounds of chemotherapy. The next step in her treatment plan was a bone marrow transplant at a top hospital in Delhi. She had been waiting anxiously for the procedure, but now Sana’s life-saving transplant has been postponed indefinitely, leaving her family devastated. The clock is ticking, and without treatment, her chances of survival are shrinking rapidly.
These stories are not isolated. Thousands of Pakistani citizens are now facing similar dilemmas, with their lives struggling in the balance. They are stuck in a healthcare crisis that could have been avoided if politics had not interfered with their access to treatment.
A $9 Billion Industry at Risk: The Economic Impact on Indian Healthcare
India’s medical tourism industry is valued at $9 billion, with patients from around the world flocking to its hospitals for affordable and high-quality treatments. Pakistani patients have long been a major source of revenue for the sector. According to industry estimates, nearly 30-40% of medical tourists to India came from Pakistan. For Indian hospitals, the freeze on medical visas means a significant loss of business.
“Our hospital’s foreign patient department is suffering the most,” said an administrator at a top hospital in Delhi. “Pakistanis made up a large portion of our clientele. Now, with the freeze, the patients are no longer coming, and the financial impact is significant.”
Many Indian hospitals that specialized in treating foreign patients, particularly from Pakistan, are already feeling the impact. Revenue streams have dried up, and numerous scheduled treatments have been delayed or cancelled. Hospitals in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai are struggling to stay afloat as they face empty wards and unsold treatment packages.
Pakistan’s Healthcare Struggles To Find Alternative
With medical treatment from India no longer an option, Pakistani patients are now looking for alternatives, but there are very few. Countries like Turkey and Iran offer some treatments, but they don’t have the same expertise or the advanced medical technology that India offers. Moreover, healthcare costs in these countries are higher, and for many Pakistanis, this only adds to their frustration.
The situation is further complicated by long waiting lists and high out-of-pocket expenses in these countries, making it even harder for patients to get the care they need. Pakistan’s healthcare system, which is already struggling to cope with its own challenges, is in no position to offer the specialized services that patients require, leaving them with few options.
Time For Pakistan To Re Think
The India-Pakistan conflict is now affecting healthcare, and Pakistani patients are paying the price. Their leaders and army focus on their political battles, real people are being denied the medical care they need to survive.
One thing is clear that in this case Pakistan is losing, and its citizens are suffering. India can’t do many things, Pakistan is raising concern for the India by provoking cross border tension. And at the end of the day it only affects local Pakistanis health.
This article is written by Dr Ashish Panwar, amid tension between India and Pakistan and how this affecting the health healthcare system and the real patients.
Hello, I am Dr. Ashish. I have lot of experience in medical field and education, I have gained lot of knowledge in my entrance exam life and medical studies which I want to share with everyone so that I can help more and more people.