KARACHI: Stakeholders representing government officials, health experts and representatives of private hospitals have underscored the need for collaborative efforts to build Pakistan`s potential for medical tourism.

They were speaking at the inaugural session of the four-day `21st Health Asia Exhibition and Conference` at the Expo Centre.

At a session titled `Future Hospital Inward Medical Tourism`, the experts highlighted the country`s potentialfor attracting foreign nationals and said local hospitals were already providing treatment to Afghan and Iranian nationals and that this capacity could easily be enhanced to SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)countries through collaborative efforts of the government and the private sector.

`Pakistani hospitals have the potential to offer quality treatment to patients, including overseas Pakistanis and foreigners, provided the security situation of the country is improved in major cities,` said Dr Abdul Bari Khan, chief executive officer of the Indus Hospital and Health Network.

In her remarks, health minister Dr Azra Pechuho said the Sindh government was ready to offer its full support to the private sector for promoting medical tourism across the country, aiming to benefit the local healthcare sector and its contribution to the national economy.

`The Sindh government has a major share in the country`s healthcare sector, providing quality treatment not only to residents but also to overseas Pakistanis and expatriates atdifferent public sector hospitals, mainly in Karachi,` she said.

She mentioned that the participation of foreign delegates and exhibitors in this event depicted positive development for the country`s healthcare industry, adding that the role of the private sector was crucial in country`s healthcare.

Talking about current public health challenges in the province, she said chikungunya, dengue and malaria affected a large segment of Karachi`s population and that the health department was working with the local government to these control vector-borne diseases.

Dr Arshad Qaim Khani, chief executive officer for Prime Minister Qaumi Sehat Card Programme, said quality and affordable treatment was mandatory to promote medical tourism in the country.