Medical Corridor to prove a boon for healthcare industry: Dr Mirza

By M Irfan Ali

Karachi: The Joint Pak-China Medical Corridor initiative will open new vistas of opportunities for the healthcare sector of both the countries and the patients in both Pakistan and China will, ultimately, benefit, opined Dr Mirza Ali Azhar, Secretary General of Pakistan Medical Association while talking to Medical News.

Talking about the concept of convening the first-ever “Pak-China Med Cong” in Karachi (from Jan 8 to 10), he said that it was the brainchild of Prof Tipu Sultan and this alliance will prove a boon for the medical profession and professionals of both the countries, besides providing more treatment options to the patients at an affordable rates.

The congress to be held under the joint auspices of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and Chinese Medical Association (CMA) is aimed at celebrating the historical event of Pak-China economic corridor as “An initiative for joint Pak-China Medical Corridor”.

The corridor, Dr Mirza said, is being developed with an aim that it will develop and increase bilateral Learning, Responding to a question about the students who face numerous challenges with regards to PM&DC’s registration on their return from China. In this regard, he quoted the recent death of one such student who was allegedly killed for his insistence to get PM&DC’s registration to practice in Pakistan.

He said that the initiative will also create opportunities for to and fro medical tourism and patients from Pakistan may not have to go to India to seek expensive treatment.

Moreover, this corridor will provide a platform for exchange of expertise for the benefit of patients, he added.

With regards to healthcare industry, he said that China, being the biggest exporter of medical equipment and Pakistan being famous for manufacturing surgical instruments, can always look at increasing bilateral trade and thus creating new opportunities for manufacturing sector of both the countries.

The forthcoming “Pak-China Med Cong” will be a landmark event and will be the first of its kind, he added.