Published on: August 21, 2025 1:35 AM
Federal Minister for Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal for completing all ongoing health projects on a priority basis and within the stipulated timelines.
He was chairing a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Health on Wednesday, which was attended by the Federal Secretary Health, Additional Secretary Health, Director General Health, and other senior officials.
The meeting reviewed the progress of ongoing projects and discussed the challenges being faced in their implementation.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister stressed that Pakistan, being the fifth most populous country in the world, must adopt effective strategies to bring down its population growth rate.
“We need to formulate policies that can help control the rising population, which is putting immense pressure on the health system,” he remarked.
The minister said the government’s foremost objective was to prevent people from falling ill rather than just treating them.
He pointed out that around 68 percent of diseases in Pakistan are caused by contaminated water, underlining that prevention is more effective than cure.
Mustafa Kamal said the Health Ministry was now focusing on preventive measures to ensure citizens are protected before they become ill.
He stressed the importance of routine immunization to protect children against 12 preventable diseases. “Polio has been eradicated from the entire world except Pakistan and Afghanistan. We must strengthen our vaccination system to safeguard our children from this crippling disease,” he emphasized.
The minister said that the government was working to strengthen the Basic Health Units (BHUs) across the country and ensure an effective referral system to provide timely care.
He added that through the telemedicine project, doctors and medicines were being brought to people’s doorsteps, while the Health Complaint Management System was also being implemented to allow citizens to directly register their grievances.
He instructed officials to take effective steps for improving the current healthcare system and hospital performance.
“It is our duty to provide maximum medical facilities within the available resources,” he concluded.
