How to Complain Against a Hospital or Doctor in Sindh
Complain against a hospital, clinic or doctor in Sindh: write to the hospital within 30 days, then file the SHCC form with CNIC and a notarised affidavit.
In Sindh, a complaint against a hospital, clinic or doctor goes to the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC). Complain to the hospital in writing first, within 30 days of the event. If it does not settle the matter, send the SHCC patient complaint form with your CNIC copy, documents and a notarised affidavit. The helpline is 0800-07422.
A wrong diagnosis. A bill nobody explained. A relative sent home too early. Families in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur face these problems and often do not know who has the power to act. In Sindh, that body is the SHCC. We read its complaint pages, its process flowchart and all nine pages of its patient complaint form, so you know what it asks for before you start.
The Commission is not a small office. Its own website says it issued 711 licences and sealed 1,587 quackery outlets in 2025. It has offices in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur and Larkana.
The Sindh Healthcare Commission handles complaints against hospitals and doctors
The SHCC was set up under the Sindh Healthcare Commission Act 2013. It regulates the quality of health services in public and private hospitals and clinics across Sindh. It can investigate maladministration, malpractice and medical negligence, and it can impose fines and penalties.
The Commission calls itself a quasi-judicial body, meaning it works a little like a court. It can issue summons, take evidence on affidavit and order people to produce documents. It can also direct the police and district officers to carry out its decisions.
It covers far more than big hospitals. Its complaints page lists these places:
- Hospitals, diagnostic centres and medical clinics
- Nursing homes and maternity homes
- Dental clinics and physiotherapy clinics
- Homeopathy, Tibb and acupuncture clinics
You can complain about a person too, such as a doctor, nurse or dentist. The form calls them a Healthcare Service Provider. If you are not sure the doctor is qualified, first check the doctor's PMDC registration, because the form asks for a registration number.
Complain to the hospital first, within 30 days
The SHCC will not take a complaint straight away. You must first complain in writing to the owner or manager of the hospital or clinic within 30 days of the event. Go to the Commission only if the hospital does not resolve it.
The Commission's FAQ adds two practical points. If the hospital does not settle your complaint within 30 days, you can then go to the SHCC. And if the hospital refuses to receive your letter, send it by registered post and keep the receipt.
That receipt matters. Section 2 of the SHCC form asks whether you complained to the hospital, on what date, and what happened. Write the outcome there, even if the outcome was silence.
Six documents go with every SHCC complaint
The SHCC needs its own form, signed with your thumb impression, a copy of your CNIC, a notarised affidavit saying the information is true, and copies of medical records, bills and letters. Keep the originals, because the investigation team will ask to see them.
| What to attach | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| SHCC patient complaint form | A complaint on plain paper may not be entertained |
| Signature and thumb impression | The FAQ lists an unsigned form as a reason to refuse |
| Copy of your CNIC | Listed in the form's pre-requisites |
| Notarised affidavit | Without it the complaint may not be entertained |
| Medical records and receipts | Evidence for what happened and when |
| Your letter to the hospital and its reply | Shows you used the first step |
Send photocopies, not originals. The form says so in plain words. The FAQ says scanned copies and duplicates are accepted when you file, but you must show the originals to the investigation team later.
The form is in English, Urdu and Sindhi. It asks who was involved, what happened and when, what harm the patient suffered, and what you want the Commission to do. There are tick boxes for harm, from extreme pain to permanent loss of a body function or death.
Filing the complaint takes six steps
Write to the hospital and wait for its answer, download the SHCC patient form, fill it in fully, get the affidavit notarised, attach copies, and deliver the bundle to the SHCC head office in Karachi by hand or by post. Keep the acknowledgement slip.
- Complain to the hospital in writing. Do it within 30 days of the event and keep a stamped copy.
- Download the form. The patient form is on the SHCC complaint forms page.
- Fill in every section. Sections 5 and 6 ask whether your name can be shared with the hospital and whether the SHCC may read the patient's medical records.
- Get the affidavit notarised. It must say the information you gave is true.
- Attach copies. CNIC, records, bills and your letter to the hospital.
- Send it to the Chief Executive Officer. The address on the form is 2nd Floor, Block C, Finance Trade Centre (FTC), Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi.
If someone else is filing for the patient, the patient must sign Section 6 to agree. A next of kin or guardian can sign instead when the patient cannot.
The form's last page is an acknowledgement slip with a complaint number. Ask for it, and quote that number every time you call.
Does an online option exist? The form says to go to shcc.org.pk for online submission, and the FAQ says you may lodge online. On 3 October 2026 we could not find a working online complaint form on the site. The SHCC posted news in January 2025 that it would bring in an online system. Until you see one, the paper route is the safe choice.
The investigation report is due within 60 days
Once your complaint arrives, the SHCC checks whether it can take it. If it can, an inquiry committee investigates and reports within 60 days. The Commission's board then decides. You can appeal that decision before the District and Sessions Judge within 30 days.
The flowchart on the SHCC website shows three outcomes at the first check:
- Accepted for investigation.
- Rejected, with no further action.
- Returned with a request for more facts. You then have 30 days to send them, or it is rejected.
The Commission can suspend a hospital's licence if the same kind of negligence is proved again and again. Anyone who does not follow its final decision can be fined up to Rs 500,000, according to its legal mandate page.
A warning that cuts the other way. Filing false information is an offence. The form and the SHCC Act both say a false complaint can bring a fine of up to Rs 200,000.
Patients in other provinces use a different body. In Punjab you complain to the Punjab Healthcare Commission, and in KP the KP Health Care Commission has its own 60-day rule. A problem with a provincial office rather than with medical treatment goes to the Sindh Ombudsman.
Common questions
Is there a fee to complain to the Sindh Healthcare Commission?
We found no complaint fee on the SHCC patient form, its FAQ or its complaints pages. You will pay for the notarised affidavit and photocopies.
Can I complain about a government hospital in Sindh?
Yes. The SHCC says it covers health services in both the public and the private sector in Sindh.
Can I complain without giving my name?
No. The FAQ says anonymous or false-name complaints may not be entertained. You can ask in Section 5 for your name to be kept from the hospital, with reasons.
Can a family member complain for a patient who died?
Yes. The FAQ allows the next of kin, such as a parent or spouse, or anyone the patient or next of kin has authorised.
What if my case is already in court?
The SHCC may refuse it. Its FAQ says it may not entertain a complaint whose subject is pending before a court.
Who do I call for help with the form?
Call the toll-free helpline 0800-07422 or the UAN 021-111-117-422, 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. The email is info@shcc.org.pk.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We checked this on 3 October 2026 on the Sindh Healthcare Commission's own website: the complaints introduction, role of complaints management, complaints management process, process flowchart, legal mandate, FAQ and contact pages, and the nine-page Patient Complaint Form, which we read page by page. The SHCC FAQ gives an older head office address in Clifton. The complaint form and the contact page both give the FTC building on Shahrah-e-Faisal, so we used that. The SHCC legal mandate page lists the fines and the sections of the Act they come from.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
