We are fundraising to equip District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with a state-of-the-art Operating Room—the first of its kind provided by Kids Operating Room in AJK or Pakistan. Serving a paediatric population of over 800,000, DHQ Hospital currently handles around 3,600 cases annually but lacks dedicated children’s surgical facilities. Most cases are referred to hospitals six hours away, underscoring the urgent need for local specialised care.
Across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir— home to 100 million children—the disparity in surgical care is stark. High-quality services exist in major cities but remain economically and geographically out of reach for many. One in 19 children in Pakistan and AJK will not see their fifth birthday, and around 14 million live with disabilities. Investing in children’s surgical services could dramatically change these outcomes, giving thousands of children a healthier future.
Investing in training, supporting the surgical team, and installing an Operating Room at DHQ Hospital Kotli will be a game-changer for the region. It will reduce pressure on overburdened urban hospitals and serve as a model for strengthening the public health sector. This project will provide life-saving tools to the local surgical team, enabling them to care for more children, operate on younger and smaller patients, and treat all children more safely and effectively. By improving survival rates, reducing disabilities, and saving lives, the impact will be nothing short of transformational.
Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) is a global health charity dedicated to transforming children’s lives through surgical care. Since 2018, we’ve delivered over 90 child-friendly Operating Rooms across 30+ countries, providing life-saving surgical environments tailored for children. Each Operating Room is equipped with over 3,300 pieces of specialised equipment, designed to empower local surgical teams to deliver safe and timely care.
Our work goes beyond installation—we train surgical teams, support local biomedical engineers, and create innovative solutions like our award-winning Solar Surgery System to ensure long-term sustainability. Together, we’re closing the surgical gap for children in low-resource settings, giving them the chance to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
With your support, we aim to raise £350,000 to build surgical capacity at DHQ Hospital Kotli by investing in the team and delivering a world-class, child-friendly Operating Room. Fully equipped with over 3,300 pieces of specialised surgical tools, this facility will be designed to meet the unique needs of children.
All contributions will go towards this life-changing investment in the future of children’s healthcare in AJK, offering hope and healing to countless families.
Dr Tahir Mehmood, Project Advisor & UK Lead
Dr Lubna Samad, Project Advisor & Pakistan Lead
To install a state-of-the-art paediatric Operating Room in DHQ Kotli, we need £300,000. A further £50,000 is sought to build surgical capacity, strengthen systems and to invest in the team at DHQ Hospital. If the goal isn’t met by 15th May 2027, received funds will be used to support Kids Operating Rooms’ global work to ensure every child has access to safe surgery. In the event that the funds raised exceed what’s needed, we will direct any excess funds to available projects in DHQ Hospital, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan or towards our global work.
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
