ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has taken a major step toward strengthening its healthcare manufacturing ecosystem with the launch of the country’s first national platform dedicated exclusively to the medical device sector — a move experts believe could reshape the future of healthcare technology, diagnostics, and public health innovation in the country.
The inauguration of the Institute of Pakistan Medical Device Industry (IPMDI) brought together industrialists, policymakers, healthcare experts, regulators, and academic leaders in what many participants described as the beginning of a more coordinated national effort to support local medical technology development and healthcare self-reliance.
At a time when Pakistan continues to face rising healthcare demands, growing disease burdens, and increasing dependence on imported medical technologies, the launch of a dedicated national institute for the medical device industry is being viewed as both an industrial and public health milestone.
The ceremony was attended by several prominent figures from Pakistan’s healthcare and industrial sectors, including Asif Mahmood, CEO Global Healthcare; Muhammad Inayatullah, CEO Nisa Impex; Zafar Mehmood, CEO LDS; Abdul Rehman Allana, Chairman Alsons Group; and Najam-ul-Saqib, CEO UNISA Pvt Ltd, alongside representatives from regulatory institutions, academia, and the public health sector.
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Speakers at the event emphasized that Pakistan’s healthcare future will increasingly depend on its ability to strengthen local manufacturing capacity, encourage healthcare innovation, and create industry-friendly policies capable of supporting sustainable growth.
Zafar Mehmood, Acting President of IPMDI, along with senior officials including Dr. Abdul Wali Khan, Director General Health, Federal Government of Pakistan, and representatives from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Health Services Academy, COMSATS, and industry bodies, highlighted the urgent need for stronger collaboration between academia and industry.
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Participants noted that healthcare manufacturing cannot progress in isolation. Instead, closer institutional partnerships are needed to promote research, innovation, skilled workforce development, and practical industry exposure for students and researchers.
A major focus of the discussions remained Pakistan’s growing public health challenges, particularly the increasing burden of infectious diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV.
Experts stressed that affordable, locally produced diagnostic technologies and medical devices could significantly improve disease detection, treatment accessibility, and healthcare delivery, especially in underserved and resource-limited communities.
Several speakers also warned that without sustained industrial support, innovation incentives, and long-term policy consistency, Pakistan risks falling further behind in healthcare technology development despite growing domestic demand.
Officials from DRAP and public health institutions welcomed the formation of IPMDI, describing it as a potentially transformative platform capable of strengthening coordination between regulators, manufacturers, healthcare providers, and research institutions.
Industry representatives maintained that the institute could help accelerate indigenous healthcare solutions, reduce reliance on costly imports, and support the long-term resilience of Pakistan’s healthcare infrastructure.
The launch also reflects a broader global shift toward localized healthcare manufacturing and strategic medical supply chain security following recent international healthcare disruptions.
Participants concluded that the establishment of the Institute of Pakistan Medical Device Industry is not merely the opening of a new organization, but the beginning of a wider movement aimed at advancing healthcare innovation, industrial resilience, and sustainable public health development in Pakistan.
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