Karachi: Pakistan should abandon fragmented regulatory structures and establish a single authority to oversee nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, a reform long discussed at policy level but never implemented, Vice Chancellor Health Services Academy (HSA) Prof. Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan said on Tuesday.
“Existing professional regulatory structures for nursing, midwifery and allied health should be merged into a single ‘unified council’ to streamline governance and standardise training in these critical health professions,” Prof. Shahzad said while addressing the 2nd International Allied Health Conference at the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Karachi.
He noted that the Pakistan Nursing Council is currently functioning under an ordinance controlled by the Ministry of Health, but an ordinance expires in 120 days.
“Instead of repeatedly extending temporary legal cover, experts have long advised establishing a unified council for nursing, midwifery and allied health to bring harmony in training, licensing and service structure,” he said, calling it a long overdue reform.
He said the Health Services Academy already offers a BS in Midwifery and multiple allied health degree tracks and has over 2,000 students from across the country, making it one of the largest public-sector institutions producing non-physician health professionals.
“We are in academic collaboration with Aga Khan University, which remains a great seat of learning and a regional centre of excellence in nursing and allied health. I believe this partnership can redefine workforce development in Pakistan,” he added.
The conference opened with remarks from Dr. Robyna Irshad Khan, Associate Dean Allied Health AKU, followed by a patron’s address from Provost Prof. Tania Bubela.
Delivering the keynote titled A Roadmap for Strengthening Public Health Through Allied Health Professions in Pakistan, Prof. Shahzad said the country’s health system will not stabilise unless it invests in a strong allied workforce capable of delivering personalised care beyond hospital walls.
He said the future of healthcare will belong to nurses, physiotherapists, technologists, midwives, lab scientists, community health workers and rehabilitation experts who can blend human empathy with technology.
“Doctors are increasingly dealing with organs, not humans. Machines may provide precision but only allied health professionals can preserve the human touch. AI will not replace them, it will partner with them,” he said, urging universities to train students in AI-interaction, data interpretation, ethics and community coordination.
Prof. Shahzad warned that Pakistan’s current model, centred entirely around physicians, is outdated and unsustainable. “We do not have a health system; we have a sick-care system. To move towards real public health, we need to integrate allied professions in policy, regulation and primary healthcare delivery,” he added.
The inaugural session was followed by poster viewing and the first technical track titled Hospital to Community, chaired by Dr. Sumaira Farooqi, Dean Faculty of Allied Health Ziauddin University.
Experts from AKU and other institutions mapped the gaps between hospital-based training and community-based service delivery, calling for stronger deployment of technologists, physiotherapists and midwives at district level.
Prof. Shahzad said HSA will support the government in drafting the legal framework for the proposed unified council and called on AKU, Ziauddin University and other academic institutions to play a leadership role.
“If we fail to integrate these professions now, we will continue to produce thousands of MBBS graduates who cannot deliver community health, and thousands of allied graduates who remain unrecognised,” he warned.
The conference will continue with sessions on community linkage, AI adaptation in allied health and policy reforms, with participation from AKU, HSA, Ziauddin University and international partners.
Ends