A severe shortage of ventilators has left Islamabad's leading public hospitals operating at full intensive care capacity, forcing critically ill patients onto waiting lists and straining Pakistan's healthcare system. Hospital officials cited chronic funding and staffing shortages, rising patient volumes and delayed equipment maintenance as key challenges, while doctors warned that adding more ventilators alone would not solve the crisis without trained personnel. The issue has also reignited calls for expanding critical care infrastructure and reviving domestic ventilator manufacturing.