Karachi: Pledging to facilitate the local production of medical equipment and devices, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal has urged Pakistan’s medical device industry to bring in international partners, invest in technology transfer, and work towards reducing dependence on imports in order to ensure national health security.
“I would urge the medical device industry to bring international companies to Pakistan for local manufacturing of medical devices, enter into joint ventures, and focus on technology transfer so we can end dependence on foreign medical devices and ensure national health security,” Mustafa Kamal said while addressing the 8th Annual General Meeting of the Healthcare Devices Association of Pakistan (HDAP) in Karachi.
The minister said Pakistan had high expectations from its medical device sector and emphasized the need for innovation, research, and locally produced top-quality equipment for both domestic and export markets. He highlighted reforms in the registration system, claiming digitization had reduced the registration period from 18–36 months to just 20 days, with 500 devices already approved under the new system.
“We are working to create an enabling environment. Registration no longer requires visiting Islamabad. We want to restore confidence in locally manufactured devices, promote indigenous production, and build an ecosystem where Pakistan can flourish in healthcare as well as in exports,” Kamal noted.
He also touched on Karachi’s challenges with water and sanitation but stressed its potential to lead the country out of crisis if harnessed effectively.
In response, industry leaders welcomed the minister’s commitment but sought urgent tax relief. HDAP Chairman Syed Omer Ahmed said the current 18 percent sales tax on imported devices was unsustainable and should be reduced in line with the pharmaceutical industry.
“Manufacturing of medical devices is the future of Pakistan, but the high sales tax discourages both local production and imports. Rationalization of taxes would facilitate both patients and industry,” he said, also calling for contract manufacturing to be allowed and promoted like in China.
Ahmed acknowledged improvements in the online registration system but pointed out persistent issues. “Some files remain pending and certificates are not being issued despite approvals. Without certification, companies cannot sell products even after registration,” he said.
HDAP Chairman highlighted serious challenges in the regulatory process, noting that in many cases DRAP had approved applications but failed to issue certificates. As a result, several medical devices could not be sold in the market and had expired, causing financial losses to importers and denying patients access to essential devices.
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) CEO Dr. Obaidullah Malik described amendments to medical device rules as “the need of the hour” to support local production. He recalled how the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital role of devices ranging from masks and PPEs to ventilators, CPAPs, BiPAPs, and oximeters.
“We saw the importance of medical devices during the pandemic. Now we are working to evolve regulations that enable indigenous production and make DRAP a facilitator and enabler,” he said, stressing Sialkot’s role as a global hub for surgical instruments and its potential to expand exports.
Dr. Shahid Noor of Saman-e-Shifa Foundation also stressed collaborative efforts, saying local production was not possible without active support from DRAP and the health ministry.
On the occasion, three prominent healthcare figures — Prof. Abdul Bari Khan, Prof. Abdul Ghaffar Billo, and Prof. Tipu Sultan — were honored with HDAP lifetime achievement awards for their services to the sector.
Former HDAP Chairman Masood Ahmed praised Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and DRAP CEO Dr. Obaidullah Malik for recognizing the crucial role of medical devices in healthcare delivery. He said their efforts to facilitate the medical devices industry were vital in ensuring timely access to essential equipment within the country.
The AGM was attended by a large number of healthcare professionals, HDAP leadership including former chairman Masood Ahmed, and members of the industry, followed by a gala dinner and networking session
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