By Bashir Khan
ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has said that great progress is being made in the field of telemedicine by benefiting from China’s experiences.
According to media, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal met with the National Health Commission of China during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Conference, where the Chinese National Health Commission warmly welcomed Mustafa Kamal and expressed its best wishes.
On this occasion, the minister said that there are vast possibilities for Chinese investment in the health sector in Pakistan and technology transfer from China in the pharmaceutical sector in Pakistan is inevitable.
He said that the friendship between Pakistan and China has a long history and a strong foundation. Both countries have supported each other in every difficult time. Mustafa Kamal also appreciated the assistance provided by China during COVID-19, especially for the provision of vaccines.
The health minister thanked the Chinese government on behalf of the government and the people. Mustafa Kamal also said that the use of telemedicine is indispensable to reduce the gap between primary and tertiary healthcare. There are vast opportunities for the promotion of telemedicine in Pakistan.
By benefiting from the experiences of China, great progress is being made in this field. Although Pakistan is facing many challenges in the health sector, every challenge also brings new opportunities. He further said that Pakistan is looking for transfer of technology from China in collaboration with the private sector in the pharmaceutical sector and emphasizes the production of basic pharmaceutical ingredients, raw materials in Pakistan.
Earlier, A Chinese business delegation met with President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi on Thursday and expressed interest in investing $1 billion in a medical city, as well as in diverse sectors of the economy.
Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China which has supported it through many investments and development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project which was termed as a “lifeline” for the country’s economy.
Earlier, China was revealed to be Pakistan’s largest creditor with almost $29 billion in loans, according to a World Bank report. China had the single largest share of debt to Pakistan with a 22 per cent share. Today, President Zardari met with a delegation led by the Chinese Consul General Yang Yundong at Bilawal House in Karachi, where he called for greater Chinese investment in Pakistan’s various sectors to strengthen bilateral trade.
“The delegation expressed interest to invest $1bn to establish a medical city in Pakistan to advance the country’s healthcare sector,” a press release from the PPP said.
“The delegation also expressed interest to invest in diverse sectors of Pakistan’s economy, especially agriculture, livestock, energy, transport, and manufacturing,” it added.
President Zardari highlighted the need for increased cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, particularly between investors and businesses in Karachi.
“We have been close friends for decades, and it was my vision to develop Gawadar Port into a regional trade and economic hub that would not only improve regional connectivity but would also boost regional trade and economic cooperation,” he was quoted as saying.
President Zardari also highlighted Chinese language courses introduced in Sindh, an important step towards strengthening people-to-people and cultural linkages between both countries.
