The Ministry of Health organized a “Safety Medicine” event, where Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal delivered a keynote address, stressing the urgent need to reform Pakistan’s healthcare and medicines system.
Speaking at the ceremony, the federal minister acknowledged that Pakistan’s medicines and healthcare system was far from ideal and required immediate improvement. “Pakistan does not have an ideal medicine system but it needs to be improved. We want to safeguard your welfare and well-being,” he said, adding that global trends were shifting towards lifestyle medicine and treatment without excessive reliance on medication. “The time for merely highlighting hospital problems has passed,” he remarked.
Mustafa Kamal said that while treatment was taking place in hospitals, real healthcare was still missing. “We treat patients, not health. Criticizing public institutions will not save lives. We must transition to proper healthcare and move away from a sick-care system,” he stated. He noted that nearly 70 percent of diseases in the country stem from the lack of access to clean drinking water.
The minister highlighted ongoing global research on medicines that prevent cancer, warning that Pakistan risked lagging behind despite global advancements. “When the world eventually ends cancer deaths, people in Pakistan will still be dying because we will create unnecessary Halal-Haram controversies around medicines and restrict their use,” he cautioned.
He raised concern over the alarming health indicators in the country. “Millions in Pakistan are dying due to diseases. Around 10,000 mothers die during childbirth every year. We have reached number one in the world for hepatitis prevalence,” he pointed out.
Mustafa Kamal said the government was taking measures to expand vaccination coverage and save lives. He noted that Pakistan consumes vaccines worth Rs 500 billion annually, while vaccine imports cost around $1 billion.
The minister underlined the government’s commitment to addressing the country’s healthcare crisis, urging a shift from disease management to preventive and community-based healthcare solutions.
