Syed Mustafa Kamal chaired an important Zoom meeting with Dr Waqas Ahmed, CEO of American Telemedicine Physicians, to discuss the rollout of a Smart Virtual Hospital project in Pakistan. The session focused on how the Smart Virtual Hospital model can strengthen access to medical services through telemedicine across remote and underserved areas.
Officials present included the Joint Secretary (Hospitals), the DG Development, Samad and Athar, who participated in detailed discussions about practical implementation. Dr Waqas provided a briefing on the telemedicine framework, operational needs and the ways the Smart Virtual Hospital could connect specialist care to distant communities using modern digital tools.
The Federal Health Minister welcomed the initiative and underlined that applying modern technology in health services is an urgent need. He expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring every Pakistani receives quality, affordable and timely care, and highlighted the Smart Virtual Hospital as a key step toward that objective.
Participants agreed to continue consultations to refine the collaboration between public institutions and the American Telemedicine Physicians team, with further planning expected to focus on phased implementation, capacity building and ensuring equitable access for remote populations.
