Indonesia expanding its economic engagement with healthcare sector

KARACHI: Indonesia is expanding its economic engagement with Pakistan’s healthcare sector through Indonesian Medica, a dedicated Indonesian showcase at the Health Asia Expo & Conference 2026, being held from September 10 to 12 at the Karachi Expo Centre, where Indonesia is the Country Partner. Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal inaugurated Health Asia 2026 and later visited the Indonesian Medica pavilion, where he joined Indonesian Consul General in Karachi Mudzakir in a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony. The minister appreciated bilateral cooperation in health, while the Indonesian Consul General expressed gratitude for the minister’s visit to the pavilion. Initiated and facilitated by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Karachi, Indonesian Medica brings together the Indonesian Medical Device Ecosystem Development Association (HIPELKI) and Indonesian companies, including PT Sugih Instrumento Abadi, PT Ocean Medica and PT Eagle Indo Pharma, known for its Cap Lang products. The showcase features medical devices, healthcare and hospital-related products, as well as consumer health and wellness products. More importantly, the initiative is aimed at going beyond product display by facilitating direct engagement between Indonesian participants and Pakistani importers, distributors, medical-device manufacturers, hospitals, healthcare associations and other industry stakeholders. “We want Indonesian companies not simply to exhibit products, but to understand the Pakistani market, meet the right partners and build sustainable business relationships, ” Indonesian Consul General in Karachi Mudzakir said. Pakistan’s continuing demand for imported medical devices, coupled with efforts to promote local manufacturing and import substitution, offers Indonesian companies opportunities beyond conventional exports, including distribution partnerships, technology cooperation, production machinery and joint manufacturing. Mustafa Kamal seeks health investment as Pakistan’s needs outpace hospital capacity. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal called for greater investment in the healthcare sector, particularly in preventive healthcare and health technologies, warning that the healthcare needs of Pakistan’s 260 million people were growing faster than the capacity of its health system. He said 6. 7 million children were born annually and Pakistan could become the world’s fourth most populous country by 2030. The minister warned that illness among even a small proportion of the population could overwhelm hospitals and other health facilities. “Healthcare is about preventing people from becoming patients. Building hospitals and waiting for patients is sick care, ” Kamal said, urging greater investment in preventive services alongside the development of new healthcare facilities. He said federal health authorities had increased bed capacity in Islamabad from 2, 100 to 2, 595 during the past 14 months. Building 15 new hospitals could take 15 years, while expanding beds and services at existing facilities could provide quicker relief, he added. Kamal also invited foreign manufacturers to enter into technology-transfer partnerships with Pakistani companies to help develop long-term domestic manufacturing capacity. He said Chinese companies had signed agreements to invest $663 million in Pakistan’s health sector. Pakistan was also approaching an agreement with Indonesia to support local vaccine production, he said, adding that the country had introduced its first vaccine policy. Children in Pakistan were currently receiving routine immunisation against 13 diseases, he added. The minister said the government was also discussing with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) the use of each citizen’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) number as a universal medical-record number. Kamal said the government was digitalising the licensing and registration of medical devices, claiming that applications that previously took up to two years were now being processed within 21 days. He said Pakistan currently exports medicines to 53 countries and was pursuing World Health Organisation Maturity Level 3 status for its medicines regulatory system. According to the minister, achieving the status could open access to about 100 additional markets. He said Pakistan faced an estimated shortage of 900, 000 nurses and needed reforms in nursing education. He also cited nearly 11, 000 maternal deaths annually and said nutritional deficiencies were impairing the physical and mental development of 43% of children. Meanwhile, organisers said Health Asia 2026 was expected to generate more than $100 million in business during its three-day run, while more than 20, 000 visitors attended the exhibition on its opening day. The inaugural ceremony also featured the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoUs), one aimed at improving certification standards for healthcare facilities and the other seeking to expand access to medical consultations through telemedicine. More than 200 exhibitors from 29 countries are participating in the event, which features over 600 stalls across five halls. The exhibition has been organised by E-commerce Gateway Pakistan in collaboration with the federal health ministry and will continue until Saturday. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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