Islamabad: A meeting of the Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) was held at Parliament House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, Member of the National Assembly, to review regulatory and policy matters related to the health sector.
While reviewing the HIV situation in the country, the Committee pointed out serious deficiencies in the report submitted by the Ministry, stating that several required details — particularly provincial HIV data from Balochistan — had not been included. The Committee was informed that under the National AIDS Programme, approximately USD 300 to 500 per patient is spent annually; however, this information was not reflected in the documents provided.
Members noted that approximately 350,000 HIV patients had been reported from Sindh and Punjab, indicating an increase of around 75 per cent. About 20,000 new cases were reported during 2018–19, while 9,700 cases were recorded in the first nine months of 2024. The Committee further observed that no information had been provided regarding treatment progress of 31 HIV-positive patients identified at Nishtar Hospital, and data relating to 669 cases out of 5,000 reported in District Sargodha (Kot Momin) during 2018–19 was also missing.
It was additionally stated that 24,000 patients were registered for treatment in 2019, whereas the Minister clarified that currently, only 84,000 individuals are undergoing HIV treatment. The Committee emphasized that several aspects, including required data and underlying causes, were not adequately reflected in the Ministry’s report.
Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal clarified that the figures actually indicated improved detection, as the Ministry had expanded testing centres from 24 to 127, resulting in more people coming forward for testing and consequently higher case identification. The Minister stated that several positive measures had been taken during his tenure and should be properly reflected in the report. The Committee sought a detailed report on the Ministry’s initiatives during this period.
The Committee was informed that reported HIV cases were being monitored and that expansion of screening facilities had contributed to increased identification of cases. The Ministry stated that nationwide screening and awareness measures were ongoing and that programme-related matters, including funding flows and oversight mechanisms, would be shared with the committee in upcoming briefings. The Committee Chairman directed that a comprehensive progress report covering all actions taken be presented before the next meeting.
The Committee further directed that details regarding funding provided to NGOs, programme implementation — particularly HIV-related matters – and project-wise operational briefings be presented in the next meeting.
The Committee also reviewed issues related to regulatory oversight and performance of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority, including outdated information sharing and lack of progress reports on clinical oversight and enforcement measures. The Ministry informed the Committee that certain matters required additional time and developmental review, while members stressed the need for comprehensive documentation and fact-based ground assessments in future submissions.
While deliberating on the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (Ordinance No. IX of 2025), the Health Minister stated, “The war is still ongoing, and very powerful and unruly mafias are entrenched within the Nursing Council; confronting them is not easy even for me, but we have not given up,” and proposed that the matter be discussed in a subsequent in-camera meeting. Members expressed concern that, according to their sources, some members of the newly constituted Council from Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan possessed fake degrees and lacked required qualifications, and they sought verification. The Ministry requested documentary evidence from members and said a report would be presented for further consideration. Discussion on the Ordinance was deferred until the next meeting.
The Committee also reviewed the Ministry’s performance and programme utilization under ongoing schemes of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). Members expressed serious concern over the Ministry’s preparedness regarding ongoing PSDP schemes, termed the situation alarming, and called for detailed briefings and documentation from relevant authorities in upcoming meetings.
The meeting was attended by Honourable Members of the National Assembly Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Farah Naz Akbar, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Aliya Kamran, Dr. Darshan, Sabheen Ghoury, and Dr. Shaista Khan Jadoon, along with the Minister for Health, officials from the Ministry and its attached departments, and other stakeholders.
