By Raheela Nazir
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- For 28-year-old Gul Bano, the birth of her fourth child brought something she had not experienced during her previous three deliveries -- a sense of calm.
Two months ago, Bano arrived at a basic health unit in the provincial capital city of Balochistan to give birth. Unlike her earlier experiences, she found herself surrounded by modern medical equipment, trained health workers, and a clean, well-equipped delivery room.
"This time, I was not afraid," Bano said, recalling the day her baby was born. "Everything was available here, and the delivery was much easier than it was a few years ago."
Among the equipment that assisted her was a vein detector, which makes it easier to locate veins, particularly when an intravenous line or blood sample is needed, as well as a vacuum extractor, making it easier for her to deliver.
For Bano, however, the difference was not only about medical equipment. She said the care she received made her feel respected and comfortable.
"My husband works as a daily-wage laborer and earns less than 5 U.S. dollars a day, hindering us as a family from affording quality healthcare. Here, everything was provided to me free of charge, even the delivery gown. The bed was clean, and the equipment was ready," she said. "I did not have to worry about anything."
Her experience reflects the changes taking place in maternal and child healthcare facilities across Balochistan. Supported by the government of China, these facilities are offering safer and more dignified childbirth services for mothers.
China has been helping the government of Balochistan in upgrading maternal and child healthcare facilities, including the improvement of 100 medical facilities across the province.
The cooperation aims to strengthen medical infrastructure, provide modern equipment, and improve services for mothers and newborns, particularly in areas where access to quality healthcare has traditionally been difficult.
For women like Bano, these improvements are not simply about new machines or renovated rooms, but can mean the difference between approaching childbirth with anxiety and facing it with confidence.
"I am very happy with the treatment I received," she said. "I thank China for helping us. My fourth child arrived not only as a new member of the family, but also as a reminder of how better healthcare can change a mother's experience at one of the most important moments of her life."
Balochistan has the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Pakistan, largely because 70 percent of the population lives in remote, scattered and hard-to-reach areas, Sana Furqan, a medical practitioner at the Basic Health Unit in the Hudda locality of Quetta, told Xinhua.
"For decades, access has been the biggest barrier. This China-supported project is the first large-scale targeted intervention focused entirely on mothers and children at the primary healthcare level, bringing life-saving care to the doorstep of women in remote districts," she said.
Talking about the newly equipped healthcare facilities and renovation, Furqan said the Chinese government has supplied equipment like ultrasound machines, delivery beds, baby warmers, incubators, and essential laboratory equipment.
"This upgrade is going to bring proximity, preparedness, timeliness and continuity, which is critical to prevent deaths from postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis and birth asphyxia," she said, adding that it will also provide solar solutions, ambulances, as well as training for female staff.
"The project would have transformative impacts on the basic healthcare system of Balochistan. In the medium term, we expect a measurable reduction in maternal mortality ratio and neonatal mortality rate, and a sharp decline in preventable complications," she added.
Furqan believes the assistance is not seen as charity, but as brotherhood. "The people of Balochistan, especially its mothers, will never forget that when they needed help the most, China stood with them."
In a conversation with Xinhua, Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said that Pakistan-China cooperation in the health sector is opening a new chapter in people-centered development, turning the friendship between the two countries into tangible benefits for communities.
China has one of the most advanced, efficient, and equitable healthcare systems in the world, Kakar said, underlining that despite its own vast population, the country has achieved universal maternal and child health coverage, which is an inspiration for Pakistan.
"We want to learn from China's experience in maternal health monitoring, village doctor system, and digital health records," the health minister said. ■