Alvi calls for focusing on preventive side of health care

Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed the need for technological expertise in the healthcare system, saying that the healthcare system of the country must focus on the preventive side of health rather than curative.

The president chaired a meeting of the senior leadership of the Aga Khan University (AKU) at the AKU’s Centre for Innovation in Medical Education on Saturday.

Highlighting the importance of prevention in healthcare, Alvi said that many people in Pakistan avoid visiting hospitals, particularly private facilities, due to expensive treatment. He said the country’s hospitals, including the AKU, need to look into this trend and focus on promoting the preventive aspect of healthcare.

He also said that 80 per cent of the component in dentistry can be online. Several nursing courses and programmes can also go online to increase the quantum of nursing staff in the country, he added.

Alvi said China took 800 million people out of poverty by improving their healthcare system. He urged the AKU’s faculty and doctors to form a group of visionary thinkers to make a quality and relevant healthcare system.

The president was earlier briefed on the AKU’s social impact as a national asset by providing services in basic education, outreach health services, examination system and research.

He appreciated the AKU’s services as an icon for Pakistan’s leading hospitals.