Poverty alleviation, health ministries agree on mutual collaboration

ISLAMABAD: The federal Ministries of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, and National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination have agreed on mutual collaboration to facilitate deserving individuals.

The decision was taken in a meeting between Poverty Alleviation Minister Imran Shah and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday.

The meeting focused on forging an integrated data-sharing mechanism aimed at promptly assisting poor patients, ensuring accurate identification of eligible individuals, and timely support, said a press release issued after the meeting.

The two ministers held detailed discussions on enhancing collaboration between their ministries to achieve shared welfare goals, the press release added.

On the occasion, the poverty alleviation minister stressed on the need to bring all institutions, working under the administrative ambit of Poverty Alleviation Ministry, into a unified national framework to improve the reach and effectiveness of the support system.

Shah said he directed Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal to purchase wheelchairs for persons with disabilities to ease their mobility challenges.

Kamal said that facilities in hospitals under the Health Ministry were being improved to ensure that quality healthcare services reached lower-income segments of society.

He emphasised that the provision of healthcare was a shared responsibility of the government, and all institutions must work together to achieve this.

Shah and Kamal instructed their respective teams to prepare a joint working paper identifying areas of mutual cooperation between the two ministries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025