Healthcare sector hit by shortage of medical devices as registration stalls

Pakistan is facing an escalating shortage of medical devices, and if the registration process is not expedited and deadlines for all classes and types of medical devices are not extended, the country could soon be dealing with a major healthcare crisis.

This observation was made by leaders of the Healthcare Devices of Pakistan (HDAP), the Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association, and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday.

HDAP Chairman Syed Umar Ahmed stated that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan had set a registration deadline of December 31, 2024, for medical device imports, but despite assurances, thousands of applications remain stuck in the approval process as the country enters March 2025.

He revealed that shipments of medical devices have been halted at Lahore Airport, causing heavy financial losses to importers and disrupting patient care in hospitals. He urged the government to accelerate the registration process and extend the deadline to prevent a worsening crisis.

HDAP spokesperson Adnan Siddiqui highlighted that 90% of Pakistan’s medical devices are imported, including surgical instruments, diagnostic machines, MRIs, CT scans, cardiac stents, dialysis machines, and other essential medical equipment.

He stressed that without an efficient registration system, hospitals will struggle to provide life-saving treatments, including cardiac surgeries, organ transplants, and other advanced medical procedures. He added that applications for registrations remain pending for years, and by the time approvals are granted, the technology has already become outdated, putting patients at a disadvantage.

Chairman Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association Abdul Samad Budhani warned that the healthcare sector is already under immense strain, and a further shortage of medical devices could severely impact hospital operations and treatments.

He emphasized that this is not just an issue for importers or the medical device industry but a national problem. Without urgent intervention to expedite registrations and extend deadlines, hospitals across the country will face a severe shortage of critical medical supplies in the coming months.

A representative of the FPCCI, Abid Maniar, called for immediate government intervention to resolve the crisis. He criticized the complex registration process, noting that while other countries streamline medical device approvals, Pakistan’s system remains unnecessarily complicated, with approvals taking four to five years.

He urged the authorities to adopt a more efficient mechanism to ensure timely registration of medical devices, allowing hospitals to access modern healthcare technologies. HDAP leaders appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal to take immediate notice of the crisis, extend the registration deadline for all medical devices, and implement urgent measures to accelerate the approval process. They warned that without swift action, the shortage of medical devices will worsen, jeopardizing patient care and hospital operations across the country.