LAHORE: Pakistan urgently requires an electronic health record (EHR) system modelled on the Covid-19 management framework implemented through the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which successfully tracked patients, integrated diagnostic and healthcare facilities, allocated resources, and vaccinated nearly the entire population, health experts stated on Friday.
They emphasised that a similar EHR system is critical to document the growing disease burden, manage epidemics, and alleviate the suffering of millions of patients across the country.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Pakistan’s first Electronic Health Records Conference, held at Indus Hospital & Health Network’s (IHHN) Jubilee Campus in Lahore, experts urged the government to lead the development of a comprehensive national EHR system. They warned that without reliable data, Pakistan’s healthcare system will continue to operate blindly.
Professor Abdul Bari, Chief Executive of IHHN, highlighted “Every time a patient visits a hospital, the process begins anew. Hospitals, health departments, and the government lack reliable data, so the true state of Pakistan’s disease landscape remains unknown. Without data, neither policies can be formulated nor healthcare facilities planned effectively,” he observed.
He recalled that during Covid-19, the NCOC successfully tracked cases, allocated resources, and vaccinated millions using CNIC-linked data. “That experience demonstrated the power of real-time data. Pakistan significantly reduced Covid mortality because authorities had immediate access to information. A similar model could store all medical records, but the government must take the lead,” Professor Bari added. He warned that without a national system, advanced facilities, such as cancer treatment, remain confined to major cities, leaving rural patients underserved.
Chief guest Tania Aidrus stressed that patients should own their medical data rather than hospitals. “Provinces maintain separate datasets and do not share them with the central government. We need national data standards, a central governance body for electronic records, and, above all, a trusted privacy system to ensure public confidence in how medical data is handled,” she noted, adding that training healthcare workers in technology is as crucial as building infrastructure.
Conference Chair Professor Dr Arshad Taqi stated that Pakistan must aim to develop healthcare systems comparable to those in the developed world.
Renowned paediatric oncologist and one of the early architects of IHHN, Dr Shamvil Ashraf, recalled. “We pioneered a paperless health facility when the concept was novel globally. Today, we provide free, high-quality care without compromising on technology”, he said.
Dr Zafar Zaidi noted that technology is transforming healthcare globally, and Pakistan must seize this opportunity. Professor Bari concluded “Paper records require warehouses and hours of searching, whereas electronic data is accessible in seconds.”