Karachi: Nearly 90 percent of medical practice in Pakistan is being carried out in ways that fall short of ethical standards, leading physicians and health experts warned on Saturday, as they called for urgent enforcement of laws and greater oversight amid growing concerns over the unsafe use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
Speaking at the 16th Annual National Medical Conference in Karachi, experts said ethical medical practice in the country is under severe strain due to weak regulation, societal decline and increasing reliance on poorly understood digital tools, which together are undermining patient safety and public trust.
The conference, organised by the Muslim Medical Mission and the Modern Hospitals Network, brought together leading physicians, academics and policymakers to deliberate on “Medical Ethics in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Social Media: An Islamic Perspective,” with discussions focusing on ethical challenges in clinical care, research and emerging digital health technologies.
Participants stressed that teaching ethics in medical colleges alone is no longer sufficient and must be reinforced through strict implementation of laws, institutional accountability and a broader societal commitment to ethical values.
Experts also raised alarm over the rapid expansion of AI in healthcare, warning against blind reliance on automated systems. They noted that while AI has been used in diagnostics and research for years, the recent rise of generative AI tools is increasingly producing misleading outputs, including fabricated references and inaccurate clinical information, which could directly harm patients if used without proper oversight.
Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy Islamabad, said that despite technological advancements, human beings must remain central to all healthcare decision-making and warned doctors to exercise extreme care while using AI in clinical settings.
He explained that machines have evolved over time from performing simple mechanical tasks to handling complex data processing and now AI-driven decision support, but they remain fundamentally “created systems” that depend entirely on human input, programming and control. He said that while AI can process vast amounts of data at high speed, it lacks the ability to understand context, values and human experience in the way a physician does.
Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan emphasised that human beings are creative, self-evolving entities capable of critical thinking, empathy and moral judgment, qualities that machines cannot replicate. He stressed that AI should be used to augment human judgment rather than replace it, warning that overreliance on automated outputs without critical evaluation could lead to serious ethical and clinical consequences.
Former caretaker health minister Dr. Saad Khalid Niaz said doctors inherently understand the difference between right and wrong but require stronger moral grounding to consistently uphold ethical standards. He noted that ethical conduct is rooted in character and values rather than training alone, adding that Islamic principles provide a comprehensive framework for fairness, compassion and accountability in patient care.
He also urged Pakistani doctors working abroad to contribute to their home country and called on society to improve working conditions for healthcare professionals.
Renowned health expert Prof. Dr. Tipu Sultan said the problem extends beyond the medical profession, warning that ethical medical practice becomes difficult in a society where corruption is widespread. He called for collective introspection and systemic reforms to restore integrity in healthcare.
Sindh Health Secretary Tahir Hassan Sangi said the provincial government would continue supporting institutions assisting the public health system, while acknowledging the growing pressure on the state to meet increasing healthcare demands.
Vice Chancellor Sohail University Prof. Saeed Quraishy called for making medical ethics a mandatory and structured component of curricula across all medical institutions, urging the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to introduce a uniform framework. He also emphasised the need to train doctors in the safe and ethical use of AI.
Prof. Amjad Siraj Memon, Vice Chancellor of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, said doctors must treat patients as they would their own family members, warning that failure to do so reduces healthcare to a transactional service rather than a moral responsibility. He said his institution has already begun formal teaching of medical ethics.
Dean Health Sciences at Al-Kawthar University Dr. Minhaj Qidwai criticised regulatory bodies for failing to perform their duties effectively, saying weak oversight has allowed unethical practices to persist unchecked.
Speakers, including Dr. Nasir Hamdani and other senior faculty members, also underlined the need to promote ethical values within communities, arguing that societal attitudes play a key role in shaping professional behaviour.
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