Experts say investment in healthcare sector to help promote medical tourism

KARACHI: Investment in the healthcare sector not only saves the citizens’ precious lives but will also promote the medical tourism in the country, which ultimately will help to bring more foreign exchange.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), over Rs17 billion financing in the shape of soft loans were provided to hospitals in different cities to enhance their healthcare capacity in the wake of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts said the increasing population and complicated health issues in Pakistan must be addressed with modern treatment at hospitals and medical institutions, which is possible by bringing high-tech equipment, devices, and emerging technological tools into the country.

According to Farhan Anis, Vice President of E-Commerce Gateway Pakistan the technological transition in the healthcare sector is being done by the trade fair, HealthAsia 2023, to provide a platform for hospitals to upgrade their systems with the help of local and international technology providers, he said and added that HealthAsia aims to promote investment in healthcare sector to provide the best medical treatment to the masses.

Talking to Business Recorder, he said that the healthcare sector is highly important and equally sophisticated, evolving consistently in terms of technology worldwide; hence if Pakistani hospitals do not improve their systems, a number of patients have to go abroad for the treatment of the complicated diseases and medical issues.

On the other hand, if the local healthcare sector improves its services, it can promote the health tourism facility in the country.

The HealthAsia 2023 is a trade fair which facilitates the local hospitals and medical centres to bring in evolving treatment practices in Pakistan without carrying out foreign visits in international exhibitions of the healthcare sector, he added.

The 20th edition of HealthAsia 2023 is being held from October 19-21, with 150 local and foreign companies of the relevant field participating, including 80 foreign delegates from Singapore, China, Turkey, Hungary, and Iran. The event also planned 19 seminars and workshops to train the doctors and paramedical staff with the latest methodologies in the healthcare sector.

Pakistani hospitals have the capacity to treat complicated diseases after making investments in high-tech equipment and medical devices.

According to the World Health Organization, the national health infrastructure comprises 1201 hospitals, 5518 Basic Health Units, 683 Rural Health Centers, 5802 Dispensaries, 731 Maternity & Child Health Centers, and 347 TB Centers, and the total availability of beds in these health facilities is estimated at 12,3394.

Major hospitals have expanded their footprint throughout the last couple of years after the outbreak of COVID-19, which revealed a serious shortage of healthcare infrastructure in the country, including ventilators and oxygenators.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023