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Pak hospital offers quality healthcare

DUBAI — Shifa International is looking at ways to offer overseas Pakistani employers a registration system with its hospital so as to offer their employees cheaper and quality healthcare facilities, said Dr Zaheer Ahmed, President and Chief Executive, Al Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

Speaking to Khaleej Times at a function organised by Pakistan Association Dubai on Thursday, Dr Ahmed, who is also the Chairman of Al Shifa Foundation and Chairman Taamir-e-Millat Foundation, said: “My visit to the UAE aims at setting up a liaison office for Shifa International Hospital so that the UAE nationals can benefit from the facilities offered by the hospital.”

He also said that acquiring treatment in Pakistan is 15 to 20 per cent cheaper than the cost incurred in the UK or Europe.

“For example, a cardiac surgery in the UK would cost some £40,000, but in Paksitan it would cost only £4,000. This way, we offer quality medical healthcare at half the price,” he added.

The idea to set up Shifa was conceived in 1985 when Dr Zaheer moved to Pakistan from the US. After 20 years, the organisation boasts of the hospital, Shifa Foundation, Shifa College of Medicine and Tameer-e-Millat Foundation. Shifa International is also planning to set up the Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University in Islamabad which has been given the go-ahead by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

Giving details, Dr Zaheer said, “The university will offer a variety of subjects for all. The idea came up after statics were compared and it was found out that only 106 universities existed for a population of 150 million.”

He also said that the Shifa College of Medicine was imparting quality medical education and had also reserved seats for overseas students.