Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said those running the country had realised that the existing system was no longer effective.
Speaking at an event in Karachi, Kamal said the world had moved towards lifestyle medicine, while Pakistan needed to focus on preventing illness before it developed. He said the government could not reform healthcare alone and called on the private sector and universities to help. Investment should prioritise prevention rather than treatment, he added.
Kamal said continued population growth was putting pressure on the healthcare system. Increasing the number of hospitals alone was not the solution; the number of patients needed to be reduced. He said the country’s healthcare system had reached the brink of collapse, with 11,000 mothers dying during childbirth annually and 1,300 children dying every day.
He added that a serious national discussion was underway on administrative units and the system of governance. Those running the country, he said, had recognised that the current system was no longer effective.
