Summary Addresses the 49th Annual Convention of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA)
ORLANDO (APP) - Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday called upon overseas Pakistanis, particularly healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and investors, to become active partners in Pakistan’s journey towards sustainable development, healthcare modernization and economic transformation under the government’s URAAN Pakistan initiative.
Addressing the 49th Annual Convention of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) here during his visit to the United States, the minister said Pakistan’s future depended on investing in human capital through education, healthcare, population management, innovation and technology while strengthening collaboration with overseas Pakistani professionals.
Inviting Pakistani physicians abroad to contribute their expertise, Ahsan Iqbal proposed a Telemedicine Backup model under which panels of 10 US-based medical specialists would be constituted for each of Pakistan’s 60 districts to provide remote clinical support to junior doctors serving in underserved areas.
He said the initiative would facilitate knowledge transfer, improve healthcare delivery and expand access to specialist medical care through digital technologies.
The minister also urged overseas Pakistani doctors to help develop artificial intelligence (AI)-driven healthcare solutions, digital health platforms and technology-based medical innovations to modernize Pakistan’s health sector.
Highlighting key human development challenges, he said Pakistan continued to face issues including hepatitis C, diabetes, tuberculosis, polio, rapid population growth and child stunting, which required coordinated national efforts supported by global expertise.
