Islamabad: Pakistan is spending over a billion dollars every year on importing medical devices and healthcare products, a staggering outflow that experts warn could be drastically reduced if the country focuses on manufacturing basic healthcare products locally.
Speaking at the ‘Celebrating Pakistan Self-Reliance in Healthcare Industry conference in Islamabad, health experts said true independence means ending dependence on imported essentials. They stressed that, globally, major industrial development — from India and China to Brazil and Vietnam — has always started with government-led initiatives, followed by private sector investment once the groundwork is laid.
“Pakistan has no other way forward except for local manufacturing of healthcare devices. The government must take the lead, create an enabling environment, and then the private sector can step in,” Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor Health Services Academy (HSA) Islamabad said.
“But undoubtedly our private sector is risk-averse, profit-focused, and not growth-oriented. They prefer luxury cars and real estate over reinvestment in industry.”
Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan revealed that of Pakistan’s annual health imports, $761 million is spent on pharmaceuticals and $337 million on medical equipment — with 40 percent of the latter being disposable supplies.
He called for replacing these imports first, particularly for rural primary and secondary care where most equipment is low-tech but essential.
“High-tech tertiary care pulls up the import bill. Rural health needs low-cost, disposable items that we can make here. That’s where we should start,” he added, urging the use of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a one-window platform to streamline government-private sector collaboration.
Criticising current regulatory practices, Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan said projects are often strangled at birth.
“We police at the inception stage, raid sites, and halt investment before infrastructure is even in place. Regulation should follow manufacturing readiness, not precede it,” he said.
The conference, organised by Global Marketing Services, Lab Diagnostic Systems, and Samane Shifa Foundation, brought together healthcare leaders to discuss self-reliance and industry growth.
Dr. Obaidullah, CEO of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, stressed the need for balanced regulation that encourages local innovation while ensuring safety.
Aqeel Ahmad highlighted gaps in financing and infrastructure, while Dr. Shahid Noor underlined that strengthening rural healthcare supply chains is key to equitable access.
Speakers agreed that without decisive government action and a shift in private sector priorities, Pakistan will remain dependent on costly imports — a burden the country’s fragile economy can ill afford.
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