Hospitals, pharma companies’ achievements recognised at award ceremony at Governor House

The Indus Hospitals and Health Network (IHHN) won the prestigious National Hospital Leadership Award, while pharmaceutical firm Pharmevo secured the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award at the National Pharma Marketing Awards held at the Sindh Governor House on Thursday night.

These awards were part of the Future Hospital Summit, a highlight of the 21st Health Asia International Exhibition and Conference, which began at the Expo Centre Karachi on Friday. 

The award ceremony saw IHNN Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prof Abdul Bari Khan receiving the accolade on behalf of the network, while Pharmevo's Managing Director Haroon Qasim accepted the CSR award. The conference brought together healthcare professionals, experts and officials from across the world, including delegates from the United Kingdom and United States.

The event attracted special attention from military health leaders, including Surgeon General of the Pakistan Army Major General Iftikhar Ahmed Satti and senior officials from the Army Medical Corps.

Representatives from Medask, a company promoting health tourism in Pakistan, also participated in the summit that focused on showcasing the country's achievements in healthcare and medicine to attract patients from abroad.

In addition to the leadership and CSR awards, several other organisations were recognised for their contributions. The Health Informatics Award went to the IHNN, while the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) was honoured for its commitment to quality and patient safety.

The Sehat Kahani earned the Virtual Care Award, Instacare was recognised for Digital Health Transformation, and Irfan Khan of the Evercare Hospital won the Best CEO Award. In the pharmaceutical sector, awards in various categories recognised marketing excellence. The Getz Pharma won the Pharma Marketing Award, Medisure claimed the Leadership Award, Digitrends was honoured as the leading Digital Agency, and Bayer Pakistan received the Brand Management Award.

During the ceremony, participants, including officials from the Army Medical Corps, formally launched the Digital Health Pakistan Hub, furthering efforts to digitise the country’s healthcare system.

Earlier in the day, a key panel discussion on pharmaceutical marketing urged companies to adopt digital channels as a core component of their marketing strategies. Held as part of the 21st Health-Asia International Conference, the panel featured health and digital experts, including Dr Zakiuddin Ahmed who emphasised the importance of establishing a virtual platform for Pakistani physicians to engage with pharmaceutical companies.

Raheel Siddiqui, director of marketing and sales at the Getz Pharma, echoed these sentiments describing digital channels as an essential extension of marketing that enhanced communication between stakeholders while upholding ethical standards.

Dow University of Health Sciences' (DUHS) Prof Dr Asima Faisal highlighted social media as an effective platform for raising disease awareness and promoting treatments. She noted that social media had driven demand for certain medical procedures, such as hair implants, by creating awareness among the public.

The Future Hospital conference also addressed the growing potential of medical tourism in Pakistan. Health experts and hospital representatives stressed that Pakistan was already treating patients from neighbouring countries like Afghanistan and Iran. They argued that with greater collaboration between the public and private sectors, Pakistan could expand medical tourism to include South Asian countries, benefitting both the healthcare sector and the national economy.

Inaugurating the event, Sindh Provincial Minister for Health Dr Azra Pechuho reaffirmed the government’s support for private sector’s efforts to promote medical tourism. She remarked that foreign participation in events like the Health-Asia reflected a positive trajectory of Pakistan’s healthcare industry.

The second day of the Health-Asia International Conference will feature additional sessions focused on health challenges, with participation from local and international experts, doctors, and students.