Pakistan Digital Authority and Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination have discussed plans to accelerate digital transformation across the country’s healthcare sector, with a focus on connecting institutional systems with citizen-facing services. Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal met with Chairperson Pakistan Digital Authority Dr. Sohail Munir and Member Pakistan Digital Authority Aamer Rana at Pakistan Digital Authority headquarters. The meeting focused on identifying priority areas where technology can improve healthcare administration, access to services and coordination between different parts of the health system.
Several initiatives were identified during the meeting as priorities for healthcare digitization across Pakistan. These include developing unified medical records for citizens nationwide, digitizing nursing councils, establishing a centralized complaint management system with defined escalation mechanisms, automating inspection processes across subsidiary bodies and improving referral mechanisms throughout the healthcare system. Unified medical records could allow relevant healthcare information to be accessed across different points of care, while digital systems for nursing councils could simplify registration and administrative processes. A centralized complaint management system would provide citizens with a defined channel for submitting complaints and tracking their progress, while automated inspection processes could reduce manual administrative work and improve the monitoring of healthcare institutions.
The two sides also discussed the potential of telehealth services to provide qualified medical advice to citizens without requiring them to travel to major hospitals or medical centers. Telehealth could be particularly relevant for people living in remote districts where access to specialized healthcare services can be limited by distance. By using digital communication technologies, healthcare professionals could potentially provide consultations and guidance to patients in areas where specialist services are not readily available. The discussion placed telehealth within a wider digital healthcare framework rather than treating it as a standalone service, with referral systems and connected health records also considered important for improving continuity of care.
The meeting also reviewed the completion of the first round of multi-stakeholder workshops being organized by Pakistan Digital Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. The workshops are bringing provincial stakeholders into discussions surrounding the Digital Sectoral Plan for Healthcare and have been used to identify core programs and priorities for a more integrated healthcare delivery model. The initiative is focused on connecting registration, referrals, complaints, inspections, medical records and access to healthcare through technology-enabled systems. Both sides agreed to continue work on these areas as Pakistan develops its digital healthcare framework, with the identified programs intended to improve coordination between institutions while making healthcare-related digital services more accessible to citizens.
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