Abstract
Background: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of healthcare quality. Primary health care (PHC) facilities in Pakistan face challenges including underfunding, medicine shortages, poor infrastructure, and weak governance, while recent evidence from Peshawar remains limited. Objective: To assess patient satisfaction at the Putwar Bala Rural Health Center, Peshawar, and examine its association with socio-demographic and service-related factors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 adult patients (≥21 years) attending a government PHC facility in Peshawar. Participants were selected through systematic random sampling, and data were collected using structured face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied using SPSS version 25, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Most participants were female (62.8%), married (79.6%), had low education (68.4%), and low household income (72.9%). High satisfaction was reported for doctor communication and respectful behavior, including careful listening (87.2%) and respectful treatment (89.3%). However, lower satisfaction was observed for registration efficiency (48.5%), treatment explanation (44.9%), and medicine availability (39.8%). Satisfaction was significantly associated with education (p=0.03), income (p=0.01), and waiting time (p=0.04). Conclusion: Although patients report high satisfaction with interpersonal aspects of care, significant service delivery gaps exist in medicines availability, registration efficiency, diagnostic equipment functionality, and emergency transport. Targeted interventions in supply chain management, administrative processes, and infrastructure are urgently needed to improve patient satisfaction at PHC facilities in Peshawar. Interpersonal aspects of care were rated positively; major gaps remain in medicine availability, administrative efficiency, and facility infrastructure. Strengthening supply systems and service delivery is essential to improve patient satisfaction in PHC facilities in Peshawar.