In an attempt to “improve access to quality healthcare though promotion and prevention,” the Sindh Health Department on Wednesday entered into an agreement with Mobicare, a British medical company at a simple yet elegant ceremony at the British Deputy High Commission.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Secretary Hashim Raza Zaidi represented the Sindh government, while Mobicare Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shahzad Ali led his company’s delegation. United Kingdom’s Minister for South Asia, Alistair Burt, was also in attendance at signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Mobicare.
The objective of the partnership, according to Ali, is to ensure that dwellers of rural areas become accustomed to preventative and modern healthcare, not simply a curative approach. While the Health secretary argued that there were many gaps in Sindh’s primary healthcare infrastructure, the minister hoped that the partnership will ensure that dwellers of rural areas have access to a well-oiled ambulance service and a modern response system.
“This partnership is an excellent example of trade relationship between the UK and Pakistan,” Burt said at the ceremony. “Mobicare is one of 100 British companies who have chosen to invest in Pakistan and the signing of this MoU today will not only help to improve the health service in Sindh but also create local job opportunities. I am proud that the United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) team locally played a key role, which I hope will encourage others to follow a similar path.”
Ali added that Mobicare chose to invest in Pakistan as it sees a growing and unfulfilled demand for convenient, cost-effective health services that “simultaneously does not compromise on the overall quality of service and delivery.”
“This partnership with the Sindh Health Department beckons a new dawn of preventative and primary level health services that seeks to provide greater access to good quality health care for the people in Pakistan. Additionally hundreds of jobs around Pakistan shall be enabled through this critical and strategic partnership. We also seek to establish a benchmark and encourage further Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to address the growing demands and needs of this emerging market,” Ali said.
Mobicare and Sindh Health Department will be partnering to bring a Tele Primary Care Hotline (Mobicare Wellness Hotline) service in Pakistan
The UK Government is fully committed to build on the bilateral trade relationship between UK and Pakistan in health and other sectors. Over £1bn worth of trade already flows between the two countries every year and with the recent announcement from British Prime minister, David Cameron, trade figures are to increase to £2.5bn by 2015.
