A delegation from Turkiye visited the headquarters of Pakistan Digital Authority to share the country’s experience in developing unified medical records and interoperable healthcare systems. The delegation was received by Chief Digital Delivery Officer Shah Zaib Saleem, as part of an exchange aimed at drawing on Turkiye’s decades long experience in building out digital health infrastructure.
During the session, the visiting delegation traced the evolution of Turkiye’s digital health infrastructure over the past two decades, walking through the decisions, sequencing and institutional groundwork that shaped the system over time. Officials noted that the kind of experience gained over two decades, along with the problems encountered along the way, is difficult to acquire through any means other than direct engagement with those who have already gone through the process. As a result, the session focused heavily on practical lessons that could inform Pakistan’s own digital health transformation, rather than a purely conceptual discussion of best practices.
Pakistan Digital Authority used the meeting to share its broader vision for digital health in Pakistan, which centers on standardisation, data regulation, interoperability and creating a unified experience for citizens across services that currently operate in isolation from one another. Officials noted that unified medical records have already been identified as a national priority for Pakistan’s health sector, reflecting a growing recognition of the need to consolidate fragmented health data systems into a more coherent structure. Turkiye’s experience, according to the authority, underlined how much of this transformation depends on institutional coordination rather than being purely a technical undertaking, pointing to governance and sequencing as equally important factors in building a functional digital health system.
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and explore further avenues for collaboration following the exchange, which officials described as a meaningful sharing of experience, expertise and vision as Pakistan continues moving toward a more connected and citizen centered digital future. Pakistan Digital Authority noted that drawing on Turkiye’s experience could help Pakistan move faster in its own digital health efforts, framing international experience as a resource that cannot easily be replicated independently by any single country starting from scratch.
The meeting adds to a broader pattern of international engagement being pursued by Pakistan Digital Authority as it works to advance the country’s digital health agenda, with officials signaling continued interest in learning from countries that have already navigated similar institutional and technical challenges in building unified healthcare systems.
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