25-04-2025
Govt, Nadra preparing national health system
ISLAMABAD: The federal government in collaboration with National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), to revolutionise the national health system, is preparing a unified and comprehensive centralised medical record number which will be completed within three years.
Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations which was held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Senator Amir Waliuddin Chisti, said that the Health Ministry is now moving toward formal agreement after a series of detailed meetings with NADRA.
The committee reviewed key legislative proposals concerning healthcare policy, medical regulation, and mental health reform. After a detailed discussion, it unanimously passed the bill titled, 'The National Institute of Health Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2024', introduced by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. Senator Mandviwalla underscored Pakistan's lack of centralised data on cancer prevalence and types, emphasising that despite previous assurances from the federal government, no concrete action had been taken. He stated that the bill aims to catalyse the creation of a national cancer registry.
NHSR&C Minister Mustafa Kamal informed the committee that the bill has been sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for legal review and affirmed the government's support for its objectives. He also outlined a broader initiative to develop a centralised national health data system by integrating medical records with national identity cards.
The committee took up the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri. She highlighted the urgent need to address gaps in postnatal mental health care, citing a tragic case in Nawabshah, in which, a mother fatally harmed her children. She emphasised that such cases often go undiagnosed due to the absence of clear practitioner guidelines. Minister Kamal acknowledged the concern and agreed on the necessity of establishing protocols to guide mental health professionals. The committee, unanimously, approved the bill.
'The Islamabad Healthcare Regulation Amendment Bill, 2025', introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz, was also discussed. Senator Aziz raised his concerns over the lack of progress since the bill's introduction in January and highlighted the inconsistent pricing of diagnostic tests across laboratories. He stressed the need for administrative regulation to standardise healthcare costs and end the widespread practice of price shopping. The chairman committee, while acknowledging senator's concern, also supported the call to regulate the pricing of second-tier medical equipment. The minister suggested one month time period to implement an effective strategy to address the issue and the committee decided to defer the bill for further review.
The committee also reviewed 'the Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2025', introduced by Senator Kamran Murtaza. After a brief discussion, the committee recommended that the bill be referred to the House with a proposal to forward it to the Ministry of Law and Justice for legal vetting.
Moreover, Former Deputy Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi also raised concerns about the reduction in medical seats for FATA students from 333 originally allocated to 194. He urged the ministry to issue a letter and also requested that minor delays in student attendance be exempted from merit calculations. The minister responded that the issue is receiving serious attention and that plans are underway to restore the original seat allocation. He reassured the committee that 333 seats have already been earmarked for the upcoming academic year and that implementation is in progress.
In his concluding remarks, Chairman Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti commended the ministry for its efforts toward improving health services. He recommended that the concerns raised by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri regarding new examination regulations for PMDC students be discussed in detail at the committee's next meeting.
Among those in attendance were senators, Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, Saleem Mandviwalla, Syed Masroor Ahsan, Muhammad Abdul Qadir, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Mohsin Aziz, former deputy chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Minister for NHSR&C Mustafa Kamal, Secretary Ministry of NHSR&C, and senior officials from relevant departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
