Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the fifth telemedicine center at Basic Health Unit Bhukkar in Islamabad, underlining the government’s drive to expand Telemedicine Islamabad and strengthen primary healthcare across rural areas.
The minister said the growing patient load on hospitals requires practical solutions and stressed that Telemedicine Islamabad offers an effective way to deliver quality consultations to remote communities without requiring a doctor’s physical presence for basic care.
Work at BHU Bhukkar will be carried out in phases to upgrade the facility from a primary to a secondary healthcare centre, improving access to diagnostics and treatment for the local population while integrating digital services as part of the broader Telemedicine Islamabad rollout.
Mustafa Kamal announced that 5,000 doctors have been assigned nationwide to support digitalised healthcare centres, providing online consultations from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. He highlighted that telemedicine also creates opportunities for female doctors who stepped away from clinical practice to contribute remotely, strengthening coverage and capacity across the system.
The minister confirmed that trained medical staff will be present at each telemedicine centre to assist patients and facilitate consultations, and that the scope of services will expand beyond curative care to include health education, disease prevention and active community engagement.
He further noted that the Ministry is prioritising prevention and delivering vaccination services against thirteen diseases at the doorstep of communities, urging parents to ensure their children receive full immunisation to build a healthier and more resilient society.
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram, Co-founder and CEO of Sehat Kahani, said the initiative will reach its full potential as more patients consult doctors online and pledged to open additional digital centres so more families can benefit from timely care. “This project will achieve its full potential when more patients can consult doctors online through telemedicine,” she said.
BHU Bhukkar operates on Sehat Kahani’s digital health platform, which includes secure video consultations, electronic medical records, digital prescriptions, integrated pharmacy systems and a patient analytics dashboard. Nursing staff remain central to managing patient flow and ensuring effective service delivery within the Telemedicine Islamabad network.
