ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN:
The Federal Health Minister, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has announced major structural reforms aimed at modernizing and restoring the credibility of the nursing profession in Pakistan. Chairing a meeting on the affairs of the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), the Minister directed the complete digitalization of the institution to ensure efficiency, merit, and transparency across all its operations. The Federal Health Secretary and an Additional Secretary were in attendance.
The Minister vowed a complete overhaul, stating: “We will restore the lost credibility of the nursing profession and transform the Pakistan Nursing Council into a modern, effective, and internationally recognised institution.”
A Critical Manpower Crisis
Mr. Kamal underscored the vital, yet under-resourced, role of nursing within Pakistan’s healthcare ecosystem, highlighting the critical national and global manpower crisis.
“Pakistan currently faces a pressing shortfall of nearly 900,000 nurses, while globally the shortage of qualified nurses stands at approximately 2.5 million,” the Minister noted, emphasizing the sheer scale of the challenge.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the sector through robust policies and digital systems, stressing that nursing is a “critical pillar of the health sector.” The reforms, he added, are being undertaken to bring the profession in line with global expectations:
“We will modernize the nursing sector, ensure merit-based practices, and introduce effective reforms so that Pakistan’s nursing workforce can meet both national and international demands.”
The Minister concluded by stressing that the reforms will maintain a sharp focus on transparency, merit, and modernisation to elevate the profession’s status and ensure the delivery of quality healthcare across the country. The move to digitize the PNC is seen as a crucial first step in eliminating systemic inefficiencies and stamping out malpractice that has previously damaged the profession’s reputation.
