ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has inaugurated Islamabad’s first fully digital, paperless and telemedicine-enabled Basic Health Unit (BHU) in village Gokina.
This is the formally launching of federal government’s BHU digitalisation programme aimed at addressing long-standing gaps in primary healthcare and reducing pressure on overcrowded hospitals.
Describing the initiative as a shift from policy statements to visible action, minister said government was leveraging technology to bring qualified healthcare services closer to communities.
Unlike conventional BHUs, Gokina facility operates on a digital-first model. Patients are registered electronically, examined through live teleconsultations, and issued online prescriptions supported by electronic medical records.
On-site nursing staff handles triage, facilitate video consultations with doctors, ensure follow-ups, and dispense medicines available at the facility.
“This is a very big day for telemedicine in Pakistan”, Mustafa Kamal said while addressing inauguration ceremony. “Our public and private hospitals are overcrowded like political gatherings because primary and secondary healthcare systems have remained weak. Telemedicine is the alternative that can correct this imbalance”, he said.
He said nearly 70 percent of patients currently visiting major hospitals should ideally be treated at basic health facilities. Telemedicine services had already been introduced at federal BHUs, he added. He announced plans to establish such systems at six locations in Islamabad and four in Karachi.
Under the new system, three general physicians will be available online at any given time to consult patients through camera-based examinations, while 18 doctors will be connected across six sites. Prescriptions will be generated digitally, and medicines dispensed on-site, an initiative officials believe will gradually reduce unnecessary referrals to tertiary hospitals.
The minister said programme would also help bring a large pool of non-practising doctors back into healthcare system, particularly women doctors who are unable to work full time due to social and family constraints. “Many qualified doctors are sitting at home. Through this system, they can treat patients from their homes and still contribute to health system”, he said.
Calling the launch of Gokina BHU “the first drop of rain”, Mustafa Kamal said government plans to inaugurate one digital BHU every week. Patient consultations at the facility will be available from morning until 6:00pm, he informed.
Dr Iffat Zafar Aga, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Sehat Kahani, said a paperless primary healthcare system enhances accountability, efficiency, and clinical decision-making. The Gokina centre could serve as a scalable model for expansion across the country, she added.
Health ministry officials said digital-first BHU programme reflects government’s commitment to reducing delays in care, diverting patients from tertiary hospitals, and building a connected, data-driven primary healthcare system capable of delivering timely services at the community level.
