The Aga Khan University Hospital receives dual honours at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2025

AKUH's forward-thinking initiatives were recognised for transforming how patients access care and services.

The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Pakistan, has secured two prestigious accolades at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2025, recognising its continued commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and patient-centred service delivery.

AKUH was awarded in two categories: Customer Service Initiative of the Year - Pakistan and Service Delivery Innovation Initiative of the Year - Pakistan.

Advancing multichannel patient access

AKUH’s award-winning multichannel patient access initiative has reimagined how patients connect with healthcare services, making it easier, faster, and more convenient to seek care. At the heart of this initiative is the integration of WhatsApp as a key platform for patient engagement, enabling access to appointment booking, rescheduling, procedure guidance, and general healthcare information.

This solution is anchored in the hospital’s contact centre, which supports a wide range of services, including physical clinics, tele-clinics, radiology, cardiopulmonary services, laboratories, and home health. WhatsApp alone facilitates over 400,000 patient interactions annually, streamlining access and empowering patients to manage their healthcare journeys with ease.

By reducing long call queues and offering a simple, familiar digital interface, AKUH has improved accessibility for patients across all backgrounds—particularly those with limited exposure to advanced digital tools—ensuring equity in access to care. Real-time tracking of inbound and outbound calls, over 90% call-handling efficiency in 2024, and data-driven performance analysis have helped continuously enhance service quality.

Patient feedback via WhatsApp surveys consistently reflects high satisfaction, underscoring AKUH’s dedication to a patient-first approach.

Building on its digital patient access strategy, the Aga Khan University Hospital mobile app, ‘Family Hifazat,’ further empowers patients through a comprehensive, self-service healthcare management platform. The app allows patients to schedule appointments, access medical records, view test results, receive notifications, and utilise telecommunication services—all in one place. Its intuitive design and robust functionality enable patients to manage their care independently, enhancing satisfaction and reducing wait times. As a natural complement to AKUH’s multichannel patient access model, the app strengthens the hospital’s position as a leader in patient-centric digital healthcare.

This multichannel patient access initiative earned AKUH the Customer Service Initiative of the Year - Pakistan award.

Transforming appointment management through IVR technology

AKUH was also recognised for its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, which automates appointment confirmations, cancellations, and rescheduling through a seamless, multilingual interface. The IVR system allows patients to self-manage appointments at their convenience.

Key features of the system include seamless integration with the hospital’s Health Information System to allow system automation; automated reporting to track 100% of call attempts and patient responses, enhancing transparency and accountability; data insights that help hospital administrators monitor trends, engagement, and operational performance; multiple call attempts to maximise reach and reduce missed appointments; and multilingual access, ensuring inclusivity for a diverse patient population.
The IVR system not only improves operational efficiency by significantly reducing staff workload but also enhances the overall patient experience. It reduces administrative burden, supports sustainability goals with its efficiency model, and enables clinic staff to focus on patient care.

This impactful initiative earned AKUH the Service Delivery Innovation Initiative of the Year - Pakistan award.

About the Aga Khan University Hospital

The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) is a not-for-profit quaternary care academic medical centre delivering comprehensive clinical services under one roof. Founded in 1985, it has been at the forefront of advanced healthcare in Pakistan for 40 years. Based in Karachi, AKUH is the country’s first and only Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited academic medical centre, recognised globally for quality and patient safety. Its clinical laboratories are accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). 

The AKUH Health System is spread over 130 cities in Pakistan and also includes: 4 secondary care hospitals, 19 medical centres, 300+ clinical laboratories, 50+ pharmacies, and Home Healthcare Services.

In addition, AKUH has a JCI-accredited hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, and operates the French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Upholding its commitment to equitable healthcare access, AKUH supports patients in financial need through extensive patient welfare programmes. In October 2024, AKUH Pakistan was also presented with the Best Hospital of the Year award by the President of Pakistan.

A benchmark in patient-centric innovation

These recognitions at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2025 underscore AKUH’s unwavering commitment to delivering accessible, innovative, and high-quality healthcare. By harnessing technology to enhance patient access and service delivery, AKUH continues to set a benchmark in healthcare excellence in Pakistan and beyond.

The Healthcare Asia Awards is presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your organisation's remarkable initiatives and contributions to the healthcare industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].