Pakistan’s hospitals and laboratories are at risk of a critical shortage of critical medical equipment. DRAP has ended the extension of registration of medical devices imported from abroad, due to which importers cannot order new devices.
According to Muhammad Umar, founding member of the Healthcare Devices Association of Pakistan, 90 percent of medical devices are imported from abroad and a major crisis can arise due to the complex process of their registration not being completed on time.
He spoke to Express News along with HDAP founding member Muhammad Umar, Senior Vice Chairman Shahan Irshad Memon, Vice Chairman Zafarullah Alvi and former Chairman Zafar Hashmi.
Muhammad Umar said that the extension of registration of imported medical devices by DRAP has ended, due to which importers are unable to order medical devices, due to which there is a risk of acute shortage of life-saving equipment in hospitals, laboratories and health centers.
In 2017, the government of Pakistan had made the registration of medical devices mandatory, but the period given for this process proved to be insufficient. First, the deadline was set until 2020, then it was extended to 2023 and later to 2024, but now, despite the passage of February 2025, thousands of medical devices remain unregistered.
DRAP (Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan) has imposed a ban on imports, which may result in acute shortages of everything from syringes to large testing machines in hospitals.
According to Muhammad Umar, this is a national-level health crisis. If medical devices are not available, surgeries and important medical procedures can be stopped, which can put patients’ lives at risk.
He further said that the association had submitted all the necessary documents and DRAP had assured that more time would be given if they lacked resources and manpower, but despite the passage of two months, there was no positive response.
The government has to work on this issue on an urgent basis, not only extending the timeline but also creating a comprehensive framework so that future registration problems do not arise. He also said that the problem is not that the process is complicated, but the problem is that the extension is given for a short time, and now that the extension has ended.
Importers have submitted all the necessary documents to DRAP but despite this, registration is not being done. He said that if this problem is not resolved immediately, Pakistan may face a severe medical crisis, the effects of which will be felt from ordinary patients to the entire healthcare system.
