Pakistan Rolls Out Digital Licensing System for Healthcare Sector

Pakistan’s Ministry of Health, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has introduced a new digital system for medical licensing designed to simplify procedures, minimize delays, and eliminate corruption in the healthcare regulatory system.

Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal stated, “Now, decisions will be made swiftly and transparently.”. The system previously plagued by manual procedures and bureaucratic bottlenecks, the licensing regime often caused financial losses for importers and disrupted patient care. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) was criticized over “sluggish” and “highly inefficient” operations for the approval and registration of medical devices.

However, now, according to the chairman of Healthcare Devices Association of Pakistan, “decisions will be made swiftly and transparently.”. Under the new system, applicants can complete licensing entirely online, from documentation submission to fee payment and status tracking. This is expected to significantly accelerate approvals and improve transparency.

Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal stated, “The system would be free from any human contact as the certificates would be available online without visiting Drap.”. This digital rollout is reflective of broader government policy to shift towards e-governance across sectors in a bid to mitigate irregular practices and enhance accountability among regulatory officials.