Mustafa Kamal calls for more administrative units

MULTAN:Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal has once again called for the creation of additional administrative units in Pakistan, arguing that the country’s existing governance structure is no longer capable of effectively addressing its growing challenges.

Speaking at a ceremony in Multan, Kamal said Pakistan currently operates through a federal government and four provinces, but the system needs major restructuring to improve governance and service delivery.

He said Pakistan is larger than around 180 countries in terms of population and administrative needs, making it necessary to consider creating more administrative units to ensure better management and development.

Reflecting on his political career, Kamal said he became Karachi’s mayor 21 years ago and was elected as a member of the provincial assembly 12 years ago. He added that political leaders often remain caught up in a continuous race without fully understanding whether the existing system is delivering the desired results.

The federal minister also focused on the country’s healthcare challenges, saying that simply constructing more hospitals would not solve Pakistan’s health crisis. He pointed out that hospitals across the country remain overcrowded, while the government must focus more on preventive healthcare and improving public health infrastructure.

Kamal said effective healthcare begins with measures such as ensuring adequate gaps between births and completing childhood vaccination schedules. He warned that a large number of children remain vulnerable to waterborne diseases due to inadequate sanitation and unsafe water supplies.

He also highlighted the lack of an effective sewage treatment system in Pakistan, saying poor sanitation continues to contribute to the spread of preventable diseases. He stressed the need to address the root causes of health problems instead of relying solely on hospitals and medicines after people fall ill.

Discussing population growth and maternal health, Kamal said Pakistan’s birth rate stands at around 3.5 percent, while the population growth rate is approximately 2.5 percent. He claimed that around 11,000 mothers die every year in the country, describing the situation as a serious public health concern.

The minister said Pakistan also faces a major shortage of trained nurses. According to him, the country needs around 900,000 nurses, while international demand for Pakistani-trained nursing professionals could reach 2.5 million. He said the government should focus on developing professional skills so that trained workers can contribute to the national economy and earn valuable foreign exchange for the country.

Kamal also addressed concerns surrounding medicine prices and availability. He clarified that the federal health minister alone does not have the authority to decide whether medicine prices should increase or decrease.

He said the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has deregulated the prices of certain medicines, while decisions regarding price reductions fall within the broader domain of the federal cabinet. He added that a cabinet committee is currently examining the issue of reducing medicine prices.

The minister further pointed out that although Pakistan manufactures a large number of medicines locally, the pharmaceutical industry still relies heavily on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). He said shortages of some medicines have also created difficulties for patients, with certain drugs disappearing from the regular market and becoming available through agents at significantly higher prices.

Kamal’s remarks came a day after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also called for the creation of new administrative units, describing such reforms as essential for the country’s development.

Addressing an event in Islamabad, Naqvi reportedly said the existing system had failed to deliver effectively and argued that new administrative units or provinces could provide a way forward.

The repeated calls from senior federal ministers for additional administrative units have renewed debate over whether Pakistan needs a major restructuring of its administrative and governance framework to improve public service delivery, strengthen local administration and address the growing demands of its expanding population.