Surgical instrument industry: government urged to set up training centres for workforce

President of Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) Mian Zahid Hussain has said that the government must establish new training and vocational centres in Sialkot and its nearby areas such as Narowal, Pasrur etc., to provide requisite workforce to surgical instrument industry with focus to grab the international market, according to the World's need.
He said Pakistan surgical instrument industry has potential to cater need of World's ninety percent demand, but this sector, has come under threat because of upcoming competition from China and Mexico due to lack of modern machinery and equipment and costly labour; whereas these countries not only have cheap labour, but are superior technologically for innovation and better materials for manufacturing.
Talking to the business community, Mian Zahid said that marketing is a basic problem because of failure to develop local brands. He said since 95 percent of the surgical industry operates in the SME sector, there is a need for a common facility centre to reduce the cost of production. "Despite reasonable growth in exports in the recent years, this sector lacks product diversification, branding and effective marketing," he said.
PBIF president said Pakistan's surgical instruments are most economical in the world coupled with unconditional guarantee of the finest quality. "Pakistan has great potential to exploit the international market of surgical instruments as it has great workforce, talent, skills, resources, strength and opportunities leading to success," he said, adding that there is large scope of triumph in this market.
He said due to skilled and versatile experience the surgical instrument sector of Pakistan produces wide range of surgical products such as instruments for medical, surgical and dental, orthopedic appliances, equipment using X-rays, alpha, beta, gamma rays, etc. He said despite the fact that we produce an immense quantity of surgical items; still, we lag far behind in case the "marketing" of our products to increase the trade around the globe. He lamented there is a lack of presentation in our products in every aspect.