KARACHI: Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the federal government is set to launch `One Patient, One Medical Record (MR) ID` initiative in consultation with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

The MR ID is a unique identifier assigned to each patient to access their medical record. The initiative aims at streamlining patient identification and medical records, regardless of where they seek treatment across the country.

Speaking at a press conference at theCentral Drugs Laboratory here, Mr Kamal said that he was in contact with health ministers of all four provinces for improved coordination between the federal and provincial governments.

`We are going to give whole Pakistan `One Patient, One ID`. The computerised nationalidentity cardnumber(CNIC)[of a patient] will be come [his/her] MR number,` he said, adding that he would soon meet NADRA authorities to finalise the plan.

A couple of weeks ago, a National Assembly panel had reviewed the progress of the `One Patient One ID` initiative. The lawmakers were informed that in the first phase equipment for the ini-tiative had already been installed at major hospitals in Islamabad with further expansions planned by June 30.

At the presser, Mr Kamal said the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations was taking efforts to reduce the burden on tertiary care hospitals by initiating telemedicines.

He said that 70 per cent of the people visited hospitals unnecessarily in the country due to non-availability of Basic Health Units (BHUs). He said that the people visited big hospitals even for having checked their blood pressure.

The minister said that the government was working on telemedicine to provide relief to the people, who would not haveto visit hospitals for their minor health problems.

He said that they were working to improve health sector including Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

He said that he had done homework and working on improving things in the field of health. The government was going to liberalise medicines market.

Mr Kamal, who was a former Karachi mayor, declared that his party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, opposed the new amendment in Karachi Town Planning and Building Regulations by the Sindh Building Control Authority through which it allowed commercial activities on residential plots.

He was of the view that the new SBCA amendments would further destroy the city, which had already in a bad shape.

He demanded that the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh reconsider and withdraw this controversial move.

Speaking about an alarming rise in fatalities in traffic accidents involving heavy vehicles in the city, he said that `due to corrupt system` drivers got licences and fitness certificates, which resulted in frequent road accidents.

He demanded that theSindh government immediately announce Rs 10 million as compensation to family of each deceased and Rs5m to the injured persons.

Mr Kamal felicitated the role of the army chief, prime minister, energy minister and the taskforce in reducing the electricity tariff.

He said that renegotiating the deal with the IMF and providing the relief to the domestic and commercial consumers in such an environment was commendable and should be appreciated.