Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Saturday opened the Sindh regional office of the Allied Health Professionals Council (AHPC) in Karachi. The move is meant to make things easier for allied health professionals, students and educational institutions across the province.
Speaking at the ceremony, Kamal said the new office would finally relieve thousands of institutions and millions of professionals who had previously been forced to go to Islamabad for registration and other official work. According to him, every service linked to allied health professionals will now be offered in Karachi, so students and institutions in Sindh no longer need to visit the federal capital.
One-window desk and dedicated staff in Karachi
Kamal said a one-window facility has been set up at the regional office. Professionals and institutions can seek information and get their queries answered at a single location. He added that dedicated staff would handle registration and other issues, which he said would bring relief to professionals throughout the province.
The council is a statutory regulatory body responsible for education, training, professional standards and registration of allied health professionals nationwide. It oversees non-physician and non-nursing fields, including physiotherapy, medical laboratory technology, radiology and rehabilitation services. Its headquarters is in Islamabad, under the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.
Minister urges creation of smaller provinces
At the same event, the minister called for the creation of smaller provinces, describing the step as necessary for the country’s administrative and governance structure. He said Pakistan’s existing provinces are larger than many countries, claiming Punjab is bigger than 180 countries, Sindh than 175, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa than 162 and Balochistan than 185.
Kamal also pointed to neighbouring countries, saying Iran has 17 provinces, Afghanistan 37 and India 38. “Creating smaller provinces is not anyone’s personal desire; it has become a necessity for Pakistan,” Kamal said.
