‘Yaran-e-Watan’ launched amidst hopes to fill health workforce gap

Islamabad :Augmenting the government’s response to Covid-19, the Pakistan Diaspora Health Initiative (PHDI), co-titled ‘Yaran-e-Watan’ in Urdu, was launched Friday to enable overseas Pakistani health professionals to share their expertise and resources—beyond financial contributions—for health sector development in Pakistan by connecting with volunteer opportunities in their homeland.

A collaborative venture of the Ministry of National Health Services, and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, the IT-enabled platform has been operationalized with support from the International Migration Organization, the World Health Organization, and the National Information Board of Technology.

Listed by WHO among 57 countries that have a critical health workforce deficiency, Pakistan needs an estimated 0.4 million doctors, 0.2 million dentists, and 1.6 million nurses to meet the population’s health needs. Four in 10 Pakistanis have inadequate access to healthcare, and physician demand is expected to grow by 17% by 2025.

Moreover, an estimated 1,700 Pakistani physicians proceed abroad every year from the practicing physician pool; among these, 1,150 immigrate to other countries. According to a conservative estimate, there are 30,000 Pakistani trained medical doctors working overseas, with a significant number eager to contribute to the health of their countrymen. Seen against this backdrop, ‘Yaran-e-Watan’ does have the potential to fill the health workforce gap and reverse the effects of brain drain, particularly during the Covid-19 emergency amidst forecasts of an exponential increase in cases in the coming weeks.

Sharing details of the initiative in a televised briefing, the PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza said, the online platform (yaranewatan.gov.pk) will help realize the full potential of the diaspora community for health sector development in Pakistan. “The enthusiasm of overseas Pakistani health professionals to give back to their country instils the conviction that ‘Yaran-e-Watan’ will become a new chapter in resurgence of the Pakistan’s health sector, especially during these challenging times,” he stated.

Dr. Zafar said, the government has been in touch with diaspora health organizations like the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) and the Association of Pakistani Physicians and Surgeons-UK (APPS) to benefit from their guidance in formalizing the initiative. “If you are an overseas Pakistani health professional wishing to contribute to Pakistan’s Covid-19 response—be it through provision of training, equipment, medicines, or knowledge—register yourself at the website to contribute according to your specialty and interest. Our job is to provide a framework for easy contributions; rest assured that your contributions will be utilized in a transparent manner,” he remarked.

The SAPM stated that local hospitals and organizations will also be able to register in a bid to connect with counterparts abroad. “It’s a matchmaking between overseas health professionals and local institutions and individuals operating within Pakistan,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Norwegian Pakistani medical professional Dr. Usman Mushtaq, who has worked hard to design the initiative, said, “Yaran-e-Watan’ will initially focus on digital health. Simply visit the website and sculpt for volunteering opportunities that suit your area of expertise. If you find none, please know that we will continue to expand the initiative over time with addition of more opportunities. Moreover, once the flight operations resume, we will also add the option of clinical and non-clinical missions coming into Pakistan,” he stated.

“The initiative seeks to promote institutional partnership between overseas health institutions and Pakistani counterparts to facilitate transfer of expertise, knowledge and resources. By sharing of skills, competencies and knowledge, the diaspora community can create a sustained impact,” Dr. Usman concluded.