Supply chain management key to improve public health in Pakistan, COMSTECH seminar

There is a need for supply chain management for improvement of health sector in the country, especially the non-availability of some medicines and surgical items, speakers highlighted the issues and challenges of public health in Pakistan.

Supply chain management key to improve public health in Pakistan, COMSTECH seminar

There is a need for supply chain management for improvement of health sector in the country, especially the non-availability of some medicines and surgical items, speakers highlighted the issues and challenges of public health in Pakistan.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Science and Technology (COMSTECH) and various institutions including the Health Services Academy Islamabad at the COMSTECH Secretariat organized a seminar on “Challenges and opportunities for the improvement of public health in Pakistan” with the support of various institutions including the Health Services Academy Islamabad, here on Tuesday

Supply chain management is needed to improve the health sector in the country, especially the non-availability of some medicines. There is a serious problem, there is no quality control in many surgical items, it should be improved, said by Former Surgeon General of Pakistan Army, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Asif Mumtaz Sukhira while speaking on the occasion.

Pletha Mahipala, representative of the World Health Organization in Pakistan, participated in the seminar as a special guest. Vice Chancellor Health Sciences Academy Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, Islamabad Policy Research Institute President Ambassador (R) Dr. Raza Muhammad, medical experts, students and other important personalities participated in the event. Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences Academy, Islamabad Dr Shahzad Ali Khan while addressing the seminar said that it is inevitable to focus on the social sector in the country.

He said that attention needs to be paid to the health and education sectors. Former Deputy Director General of Drug Regulatory Authority Dr. Abdul Rasheed, World Health Organization representative in Pakistan Dr. Pletha Mahipala, Dr. Zafar Mirza and other speakers also addressed the seminar. Dr. Pletha Mahipala while addressing the seminar said that in the health department Pakistan has a better potential to move forward, Pakistan has a talented workforce and highly educated people. He said that basic public health facilities should be improved. The representative of the World Health Organization said that Pakistan’s Health Facilitation Program is a better program.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Abdul Rasheed said that the recent floods raised severe issues of public health in Pakistan and have also severely damaged the health sector, 33 million people have been affected in the affected areas while many people are facing epidemic diseases. He said that adoption of digital technology is the need of the hour to improve health facilities. Dr. Abdul Rasheed said that the population of 57 member countries of OIC consists of one billion and 90 million people.

COMSTECH is playing an important role in the field of sciences in member countries. He also appreciated the role of media on this occasion. Addressing the seminar, Chief Executive Officer of Health Facilitation Program, Dr. Muhammad Arshad said that despite the challenges of public health in Pakistan, Pakistan bravely fought the global epidemic of Coronavirus. He said that 17.5 million could benefit from the National Health Insurance Scheme, which was launched in 2015. He said that under this plan, 182 hospitals in Pakistan are providing free treatment to patients.

He said that there is a need to provide health facilities across the country, as a result of the government’s initiatives, it will help to improve treatment facilities in the next five years. Addressing the seminar, Dr. Zafar Mirza of Shifa-e-Milat University said that there is a need to pay attention to basic public health. can be provided.

He said that public health in Pakistan is on its priorities in the sustainable development goals. Islamabad Health Regulatory Authority CEO Dr. Quaid Saeed said in his address that the best training of medical staff is needed to improve the health sector. At the end of the event, a panel discussion was also organized in which experts shared their views.