INDUSTRY CHALLENGES & GROWTH INDICATORS: How Shifa International Hospital is Coping with Growth Challenges?

The country is facing an acute shortage of different cadres of healthcare workers and nursing professionals. The current government is emphasizing to strengthen the education system to implement "Health for All" vision through skilled and well trained nurses and midwives. Need for a thorough and integrated strategy is required to develop trained healthcare work force by involving all stakeholders in government and private sector. Since healthcare is an HR-intensive business and without quality human resources one cannot even conceive building a hospital.
SHIFA has put great emphasis on training and development of medical professionals - from consultants to young doctors and from nurses to technicians in different specialties. This purpose is being achieved through investment in training and close collaboration with Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University (STMU). The quality of training can be gauged by the fact that STMU graduates have secured highest scores in United States Medical Licensing Examination for the last three years. This is critical to the success of future projects of SHIFA for which the company has acquired land in various locations to build quality hospitals and Centers of Excellence across Pakistan.
Capital Intensive Investment & Need for Tax and Regulatory Reforms
An efficient and quality healthcare delivery system requires capital intensive investment in medical technology and machinery.
Private hospitals are liable to pay custom and import duty on the medical equipment machinery imported to Pakistan. Hospitals mainly invest huge amount for purchase of advanced medical equipment and machinery as pail of their ongoing up-gradation into hospital systems for quality diagnostics and treatment outcomes.
Providing much needed tax credit to the private accredited hospitals for machinery imports as given to other industries for balancing, modernization, and replacements of technology infrastructure will ultimately benefit Pakistani population.
The hallmark of SHIFAs corporate strategy is to pace-up with the latest trends and technological advancements by continuously investing into state-of-the-art medical equipment to offer innovative and contemporary treatment options to a large array of patients.
Strategic Partnerships
Shifa International Hospital carries more than 25 years' experience in establishing, managing and operating healthcare organizations and care delivery models. To further capitalize on the industry experience and adaptability, SHIFA has also been partnering with local as well as international investor groups.
Such strategic partnerships are vital to strengthen the capacity of the projects by broadening the reach of quality and affordable healthcare to a wider Pakistani population along with engaging stakeholders and achieving shared objectives.
Ensuring International Quality Healthcare Standards
Hospitals operate in an incredibly complex and difficult environment to ensure international health care quality standards.
As a healthcare service provider, the most salient recognition by Shifa International Hospital is achieving accreditation by JCI (Joint Commission International) in 2017. JCI is the world's leader in healthcare accreditation and the author and evaluator of the most rigorous international standards in quality and patient safety.
The journey towards acquiring JCI accreditation was very challenging. It required a quality oriented corporate culture and commitment at all management and operational levels.
In 2017, Shifa International Hospital became Pakistan's 1st Public Limited Hospital to get accredited by JCI.
Growth Challenges
Shortage of Trained Nursing & Paramedical Staff
Ensuring International Quality Healthcare Standards
Capital Intensive Investment in latest Medical Technology
Need for Tax & Regulatory Reforms