Lahore: Patient safety in Pakistan could only be ensured when doctors, nurses, pharmacists and hospital managements start treating every patient like their own parents or children, national and international health experts said, warning that medical and medication errors continue to harm and kill thousands of patients in healthcare facilities due to negligence, poor systems and lack of accountability.
Speaking at the 9th International Conference on Patient Safety 2026 held at Shalamar Medical and Dental College under the theme “Patient Safety from the Start”, experts stressed that healthcare providers must first ensure that they do not harm patients before attempting to treat them.
They urged hospitals and healthcare workers to acknowledge mistakes, report adverse events and improve healthcare systems by learning from failures instead of hiding them.
“We need to learn from mistakes by admitting that mistakes happen in healthcare settings and they can be avoided. Patient safety is the foremost responsibility of healthcare providers,” former Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health and Chief Executive Officer of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Dr. Faisal Sultan said while presiding over a key session of the conference.
The two day conference was organized by Riphah International University through the Riphah Institute of Healthcare Improvement and Safety (RIHIS) in collaboration with several healthcare organizations and institutions. The event brought together healthcare experts, policymakers, clinicians, nurses, pharmacists and researchers from Pakistan and abroad to discuss patient safety, hospital accreditation, medication safety, infection prevention, digital health and healthcare quality improvement.
During the inaugural session, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital received four major patient safety awards. The “Rufaida Al Aslamia Patient Safety Champion Award” for best hospital was awarded to SKMH, while Dr. Haroon Hafeez received the best physician award, Nasir Khan was declared best nurse and Umar Bhutta received the best pharmacist award. The patient safety advocacy award was presented to Sufian Ahmed of Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan.
Dr. Faisal Sultan said healthcare systems across the world were increasingly recognizing that patient safety failures were often linked to weak systems rather than individuals alone. He emphasized that hospitals should encourage a culture where healthcare workers can report errors without fear so that systems can be improved to prevent future harm.
Conference Chairman Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed, Director of the Riphah Institute of Healthcare Improvement and Safety, said the patient safety movement in Pakistan had evolved from a small initiative into a major national platform with participation from local and international experts.
He said the conference aimed to improve healthcare systems, reduce preventable harm and promote quality care in hospitals across Pakistan. He also announced the establishment of two special interest groups on patient safety for gynecology and obstetrics as well as primary care physicians, adding that the next international patient safety conference would be hosted in Peshawar by Rehman Medical Institute.
Chief Executive Officer of the Sehat Sahulat Program Muhammad Arshad Qaimkhani appreciated Riphah International University’s efforts for promoting safer healthcare systems and announced that the government was actively working on a comprehensive medical tourism policy aimed at positioning Pakistan as a regional hub for affordable and quality healthcare services. He said strengthening hospital accreditation and improving standards were essential for medical tourism and international collaborations.
Executive Director of Riphah Healthcare Services Asadullah Khan highlighted the role of preventive healthcare and lifestyle medicine in reducing disease burden and improving long term health outcomes.
President of Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan Prof. Dr. Hafeez ur Rehman deplored that one out of every 10 patients globally suffered harm due to unsafe medical practices, saying even the United Kingdom had managed to save around 22,000 lives annually by improving patient safety standards.
Principal of Shalamar Medical and Dental College Prof. Dr. Zahid Bashir stressed the need for safer patient care practices in high burden specialties including cardiology, where millions of Pakistanis seek treatment every year.
Vice Chancellor of Children University Lahore Prof. Dr. Masood Sadiq said public sector healthcare facilities needed to focus more on improving healthcare delivery and patient safety as the majority of patients in Pakistan depended on government hospitals for treatment.
The conference featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, poster presentations and technical sessions on medication safety, infection prevention and control, nursing safety, digital health maturity, hospital accreditation and the use of technology and artificial intelligence for improving patient safety.
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