The United Christian Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan is the primary medical institution run by Christians in Lahore for persons of any faith or socio-economic background. It was founded in 1947 during the critical period of partition with India and the end of British rule. Bloody cummunal riots caused approximately one million deaths and many more injuries. Hospitals in the area were few and poorly staffed. The hostels of Forman Christian College, which had been abandoned by Hindu and Sikh students, were an ideal place for establishing a first aid station to care for the wounded. Mission doctors assisted Pakistani church leaders in making the decision to expand the facility into a permanent hospital, since no other Christian hospital was close by. Construction began in 1961, with funding coming from the Methodist Church in Switzerland, the Reformed Church of the Netherlands, Bread for the World in Germany, the United Methodist and Presbyterian Church in the USA, a grant from the Pakistani Government, and many donors in Lahore. In 1965, as construction was completed, the hospital moved from Forman College to its present location, where it has been expanded into a center for specialized, surgical, medical, obstetrical treatment and training. At its peak, over 30,000 patients per year came to the hospital, one of six being hospitalized for treatment, the rest being served through out-patient clinics. In 1966, 547 babies were delivered in the hospital, and a home delivery service, staffed by specially trained nurses, was also providing care. Approximately 3200 operations were performed annually in the 60's and 70's, with many types of surgery available - even open heart surgery. A special tuberculosis unit and a mobile chest xray unit sought to treat TB patients. Orthopedic problems began to be addressed at an orthopedic workshop in 1965, and over 75 patients came for physiotherapy each month that year.