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ISLAMABAD, Jan 14 (APP):Federal Minister of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, inaugurated digitalized healthcare center in Bhimber Tarar to improve access to medical services for local residents.
Addressing the ceremony, the Minister highlighted the government’s renewed focus on strengthening primary healthcare through technology-driven solutions.
Mustafa Kamal said that the first telemedicine center was established in the mountainous area of Gokina, Islamabad, followed by a center in Karachi, while residents of Bhimber Tarar are now also benefiting from telemedicine facilities.
Spotlight the rapid expansion of Islamabad, the minister stressed the need for comprehensive planning in all sectors, particularly healthcare.
He termed the current initiatives as “just the beginning,” saying more telemedicine centers will be established in the future.
He pointed out that although a Basic Health Unit building existed in Bhimber, no doctor was posted there, and patients previously had to travel over an hour to reach major hospitals in Islamabad.
He said that telemedicine is the most effective and modern solution for delivering healthcare services to remote and underdeveloped areas of the country.
“With the introduction of telemedicine, local residents can now receive treatment in their own area, and only serious cases will need referral to major hospitals,” he added.
He added that an agreement was signed with “Sehat Kahani” last month to promote telemedicine across Pakistan, under which digitalized healthcare centers are being established nationwide.
Under the initiative, 5,000 online doctors have been allocated to provide remote medical consultations at these centers, he focused.
Mustafa Kamal emphasized that the country’s primary healthcare system had remained inactive for years, but was now being revived through telemedicine, calling it a step towards putting the system back on the right track.
He further said that digitalized healthcare centers will not be limited to treatment alone, but will also serve as platforms for public health awareness.
He shared that doctors based abroad, including in Qatar, are already examining patients online at telemedicine centers in Karachi, while female doctors unable to work physically after marriage are also providing online medical services.
The Federal Health Minister said efforts are underway to extend the operating hours of digital healthcare centers till evening to ensure maximum public benefit.
He added that specialists, including gynecologists, diabetes experts, dermatologists and physicians from other cities, will provide online consultations throughout the week.
The minister also pointed out that while 56 vaccines are administered globally, only 13 are currently available in Pakistan, and steps are being taken to bridge this gap.
He expressed optimism that with modern treatments, including cancer vaccines, cancer-related deaths could be eliminated in the next 15 years, if conspiracies could not born.