The organization aims to provide better facilities to the people, President Malik Sajjad,Health and education are the ma
in pillars of the development of any nation, Nawaz Khattak
The organization has been serving the public for the past several years through free medical camps, rehabilitation programs, health awareness campaigns, Abdul Waheed Babi
The Financial Times will continue to provide a rich platform in the future to convey the opinions, suggestions and research work of medical institutions, doctors, researchers and health professionals to the public and policymakers, Editor Javed Siddiq address at a seminar organized by APAHMO
Officers of the organization address a seminar jointly organized by APAHMO and Financial Times
Report by ANI
A seminar organized by APAHMO on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the Financial Times, full participation of doctors, medical experts and representatives of the health sector
Islamabad: On the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the Financial Times, a major seminar titled “Economic Challenges Facing Health and Medical Institutions” was organized by the All Pakistan Association of Health and Medical Organizations (APAHMO), in which a large number of prominent doctors, medical experts, hospital administrators, laboratory owners, representatives of rehabilitation centers, personalities associated with the paramedical sector, business leaders, social figures and media representatives from across the country participated.
The event was attended by Malik Sajjad (President, APAHMO), Tahir Nawaz (Senior Vice President), Dr. Zahid Ahmed (Vice President), Nabila Sadaf (President, Women Wing), Abdul Waheed Babi (Secretary General, APAHMO), Dr. Sidra Jahangir, Arshad Khan (Secretary, All Pakistan Paramedics Association), Nawaz Khattak and Dr. Qaiser (Saeed International Hospital), Masood Qureshi (Chief Executive Officer, Universal Lab), Qamar Razzaq (Chief Executive Officer, Shaheen Lab),
Senior journalists Executive Editor Naseem Hassan Awan, Nawabzada, Nawabzada shah ali, Nadeem Tanoli, Naveed Satti, Nayyar Naveed, Ikramullah Joiya and representatives from various government and private hospitals, laboratories, medical institutions, rehabilitation centers and the corporate sector.
The seminar aimed to have a detailed discussion on the impact of the federal budget on the health sector, financial difficulties faced by medical institutions, provision of quality medical facilities to the public, health insurance, the role of the private sector and promotion of effective cooperation between the media and the health sector.
Addressing the event, Hurish Shah, News Coordinator, Financial Times, thanked APAHMO President Malik Sajjad, Secretary General Abdul Waheed Babi and all the office bearers of the organization and said that the Financial Times has been highlighting economy, business, diplomacy, health, education and public issues through responsible journalism for the past thirteen years. SHe said that the media is not limited to publishing news only but is also a strong medium of communication between experts from different fields, policy makers and relevant institutions. SHe said that the Financial Times will always continue to provide such positive platforms where there is a serious dialogue on national issues and actionable suggestions come out.
In his address, Javed Siddique, Editor of Financial Times, said that the health sector is of fundamental importance for national development and Financial Times will continue to provide a rich platform for medical institutions, doctors, researchers and health professionals to convey their opinions, suggestions and research work to the public and policy makers in the future. He said that the newspaper and its sister organization ANI News Agency are committed to highlighting positive initiatives, research activities and reform proposals related to the health sector at the national and international levels.
President APAHMO Malik Sajjad said that the main objective of the organization is to provide better medical facilities to the public and raise a common voice for solving the problems faced by the institutions related to the health sector. He said that this partnership with Financial Times will play an important role in highlighting the problems of the health sector at the national level.
Secretary General Abdul Waheed Babi said that APAHMO has been rendering public service for the past several years across the country through free medical camps, eye camps, rehabilitation programs, health awareness campaigns and other welfare activities. He said that with the support of the media, the scope of these activities will be further expanded and quality medical facilities will be provided to as many deserving people as possible.
Saeed International Hospital CEO Nawaz Khattak and Dr. Qaiser said in their address that health and education are the basic pillars of any nation’s development, but in Pakistan both sectors are suffering from lack of financial resources. They said that hospitals are facing serious problems like rising inflation, modern medical equipment, medicines, electricity and gas costs, taxes and shortage of trained staff, due to which the provision of quality medical services is becoming difficult day by day.
They demanded from the government that more resources should be allocated for the health sector in the national budget, facilitate the import of modern medical machinery and provide special relief in taxes and utility bills to private medical institutions so that the public can get quality and affordable medical facilities. On this occasion, Saeed International Hospital also expressed its commitment to organize free medical camps and public awareness programs in collaboration with Financial Times and APAHMO in the future.
Arshad Khan, Secretary, All Pakistan Paramedics Association, said that health is a fundamental human right and medical personnel play a frontline role in serving the country. He said that providing better facilities, professional training and financial security to paramedics, nurses and other health workers is the need of the hour.
Dr. Zahid Ahmed said that the burden of diseases can be significantly reduced through preventive measures, timely diagnosis and public awareness, while Tahir Nawaz highlighted the role of mental health, drug rehabilitation and rehabilitation centers and stressed the need for special government patronage for this sector.
Nabila Sadaf, President, Women’s Wing, APAHMO, highlighted the role of women in women’s health, rehabilitation centers and social services and said that projects related to women’s and children’s health should be included in the national priorities.
Dr. Sidra Jahangir said that provision of quality medical services is not possible without modern research, professional training, digital health systems and promotion of public awareness in the health sector. She stressed on coordinated cooperation among all stakeholders in the health sector.
On this occasion, Masood Qureshi (Chief Executive Officer, Universal Lab) and Qamar Razaq (Chief Executive Officer, Shaheen Lab) and other speakers also presented their suggestions regarding quality diagnostic facilities, modern laboratory systems, research, medical transparency and provision of better services to patients.
The speakers agreed that to address the economic and administrative challenges facing Pakistan’s health system, there is an urgent need for a substantial increase in the health budget, expansion of the scope of health insurance, encouragement of the private sector, modern medical infrastructure, trained workforce, transparent policy-making and an effective role of the media.
The participants said that the media not only plays a key role in identifying problems but also in raising awareness among the public, promoting positive public health initiatives and conveying the voice of the public and the medical sector to policymakers. He expressed his determination that this partnership established between the Financial Times and APAHMO will continue in the future in the form of joint seminars, free medical camps, awareness campaigns, research activities and reform projects for health, education and public welfare.
At the end of the event, the participants congratulated the Financial Times on its successful 13-year journalistic journey and said that maintaining quality and responsible journalism in the current digital era is a big challenge, however, the Financial Times is playing the role of a responsible national institution by continuously highlighting important issues related to the national, economic, social, diplomatic and health sectors. He expressed the hope that the institution will continue its services in the public interest with the same passion, integrity and professional standards in the future.
