Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases Karachi: Free TB Treatment, 6 Clinics and OPD Timings (Sindh)

A cough that will not go away in November is easy to blame on smog. Sometimes it is TB. Karachi has one large public hospital built for exactly this question, and it does not charge for any of it.

We read the Ojha Institute page on the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) website on 10 November 2026. Every timing, clinic and phone number below comes from that page. We did not call the numbers or visit the clinics ourselves.

Ojha Institute treats chest patients free of cost

OICD is a 270-bed hospital run by DUHS, with six chest clinics attached to it. DUHS says all diagnostic and treatment services are free for admitted patients and outpatients alike. The institute's director says the free care covers consultations, lab tests, medicines, ICU services and complex surgery.

The hospital has three wards: pulmonology (lung diseases), drug-resistant TB, and thoracic surgery (chest operations). It also has medical and surgical ICUs and what DUHS calls Pakistan's first negative pressure ICU for pulmonary TB. Negative pressure means air flows into the room and not out, so germs stay inside.

Its laboratory is the provincial reference laboratory for TB in Sindh. DUHS says the institute works with the provincial and national TB control programmes and with the World Health Organization.

Six Ojha clinics and what each one offers

Three clinics sit inside the Ojha campus on University Road, near SUPARCO. The other three are in Malir, Lyari and Nazimabad. Pick the one nearest you if you only need a TB check and regular medicine, and go to the campus for specialist care.

DOTS stands for directly observed treatment. A health worker checks that you take your TB tablets on schedule, because stopping early is how TB becomes drug resistant.

DUHS gives no street address for the Lyari clinic beyond "Lyari, Karachi". Call the OPD line before you travel there.

Ojha clinic timings are the same at all six sites

Every clinic on the DUHS page lists the same hours. Mornings are the only time to go, and Friday closes at noon.

• Monday to Thursday: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
• Saturday: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
• Friday: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm
• Sunday: not listed, so treat it as closed

Admitted patients and the ICUs work round the clock. The timings above are for walk-in clinic visits. For a medical emergency in Karachi, go to the nearest emergency department such as Civil Hospital Karachi or JPMC, or call 1122.

How to get checked at Ojha, step by step

You do not need a referral for a DOTS clinic. A first visit is simple if you take the right papers and arrive early.

1. Call the Ojha OPD line, 021-111-362-273, and ask which clinic fits your problem. A long cough goes to a DOTS clinic. Known drug-resistant TB goes to the MDR facility.
2. Take your CNIC, or your child's B-Form, plus any old X-rays, sputum reports and prescriptions.
3. Arrive before 10 am. The clinics close at 2 pm, and at noon on Friday.
4. See the doctor and give samples. Tests such as sputum, X-ray or spirometry are done on site where the clinic offers them.
5. Collect your free medicine from the clinic pharmacy and keep your TB card. Go back on every date you are given.

Wear a mask on the way, especially in a rickshaw or bus. It protects the people around you if the cough is TB. Our page on which mask to wear covers the types.

When a winter cough needs a TB test

Smog and cold air make many coughs worse in November. Most get better in a week or two. A cough that lasts two weeks or more is the standard sign to get a TB test, especially with these signs:

• Fever or heavy sweating at night
• Weight loss you cannot explain
• Blood in the phlegm
• Chest pain or breathlessness
• Someone at home already being treated for TB

This is general guidance, not a diagnosis. A doctor at the clinic decides which test you need. Our free TB test guide lists drug-resistant TB sites in every province, and the cold or flu guide covers shorter illnesses.

Ojha and DUHS phone numbers

DUHS lists these numbers on the Ojha page. The OPD line is the one most patients need.

The same Ojha campus also has Dow University Hospital. Its departments and doctor schedules are in our Dow University Hospital OPD guide, and Dow Lab test prices are on the Dow Lab rate list.

Common questions

Is treatment at the Ojha Institute really free?

Yes, according to DUHS. It says all diagnostic and treatment services are free for admitted patients and outpatients, including tests, medicines, ICU care and surgery.

What are the Ojha chest clinic timings?

Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. Friday, 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Sunday is not listed.

Where is the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases?

On the DUHS Ojha campus, University Road, near SUPARCO in Karachi. Three more clinics are in Malir, Lyari and Nazimabad.

Does Ojha treat drug-resistant TB?

Yes. It has an MDR-TB facility with its own OPD and wards on the Ojha campus, and the Malir clinic also runs an MDR OPD.

Can children get TB treatment at Ojha?

Yes. The TB integrated site on the Ojha campus lists a children's TB OPD. Take the child's B-Form and any earlier reports.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 10 November 2026. Beds, clinics, services, timings, addresses, free care and phone numbers are from the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases page on the Dow University of Health Sciences website. We did not call the numbers or visit the clinics. The two week cough sign is the standard TB screening rule and is general information, not medical advice.