A two-day national dialogue in Islamabad convened senior representatives of provincial social security institutions to discuss ways to strengthen service delivery and worker protection in health facilities managed by ESSIs. The discussions focused on measures to strengthen service systems, improve occupational safety and health practices, and enhance coordination between ESSIs to better support insured workers and their caregivers.
The dialogue, part of ongoing collaboration between the International Labour Organization and the Health Services Academy under the Working for Health programme, highlighted the need for stronger institutional alignment and renewed emphasis on professional safety and health standards. Participants from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa exchanged technical experience on hospital governance, service expansion and compliance with occupational safety requirements.
ILO Pakistan Country Director Gear Tunstall stressed that ESSIs are the frontline protectors of millions of workers and their families, adding that ensuring safety and health standards for healthcare workers is central to a dignified work agenda. This message underlined the dialogue’s priority to strengthen service quality by building robust OSH systems within ESSI-managed facilities.
Health Services Academy Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shehzad Ali Khan described the meeting as a timely opportunity to embed OSH across the board, both inside public institutions that deliver services to insured workers and across the broader health workforce. He said the exchange will help provincial institutions share knowledge, improve service delivery and promote decent work in the health sector.
PESSI Commissioner Muhammad Ali reported that, in partnership with the ILO, PESSI has already implemented the HealthWISE toolkit in its hospitals and is observing improvements in ergonomics, safe waste management and staff OSH training. He said PESSI remains committed to expanding services and working with other social protection bodies to amplify benefits for insured workers.
Delegates also noted the support provided by international partners, including the OECD and the World Health Organization, to strengthen workplace safety, equip health professionals and managers with knowledge and tools, and improve systems that underpin service delivery. Strengthen OSH emerged as a recurring objective, seen as essential to building a prevention-focused, worker-centred social protection model aligned with international standards.
Moving forward, participants committed to closer coordination among provincial ESSIs, continued rollout of practical toolkits like HealthWISE, and targeted capacity-building to raise the standard of care for millions of insured workers and their families across Pakistan.
