Siemens Pledges Stronger Support for Pakistan’s Healthcare After Berlin Meeting With Zardari
President Asif Ali Zardari met Siemens Healthineers executives in Berlin on Saturday, and the company pledged stronger support for Pakistan’s health system. The Siemens Pakistan healthcare talks focused on new technology, staff training and fresh agreements with local partners in the months ahead.
Siemens Executive Vice President Daniel Frisch led the delegation that called on the president during his three-day visit to Germany. According to the Presidency, Frisch briefed Mr Zardari on the company’s work in Pakistan so far, and he praised the Sindh health department for its networked steps to improve services.
Siemens Pakistan healthcare: what the company promised
Frisch told the president that Siemens was ready to increase its existing support through new solutions and technology for Pakistan’s health infrastructure. The delegation said its representatives would soon visit Pakistan to sign memoranda of understanding with partners in capacity building and technology in the health sector.
The company’s cooperation in Pakistan already covers cancer, stroke and other diseases, the Presidency said. That detail matters, because those are areas where early diagnosis and modern imaging can change outcomes for patients who reach care in time.
Mr Zardari, in turn, called for research-based and technology-driven solutions to improve health services across the country. He said affordable, qualified and standardised care must reach every citizen, so that people can realise their full potential.
Why the Berlin meeting matters for patients at home
The president stressed that quality health care must reach poor people in remote areas in particular. He said his government was working for broad and inclusive provision of health services, not care limited to big cities.
He also urged Siemens to widen its engagement in Pakistan and to spread investment across more than one sector. In return, he assured the company of full institutional cooperation through the Special Investment Facilitation Council, the body that handles investment facilitation.
Siemens Healthineers has been present in Pakistan for decades, with more than 100 employees in three major cities, the Presidency said. That long presence gives the new promises a base to build on, since the company already knows local hospitals, suppliers and training needs.
A wider visit, and a 75-year relationship
The Berlin health meeting formed part of a wider three-day visit that began on Thursday. Pakistan and Germany are set to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations, after ties were formally established on October 15, 1951.
On Friday, Mr Zardari met German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who praised Pakistan’s rising diplomatic profile in resolving regional and global disputes. The two leaders also discussed Afghanistan, with Mr Zardari saying Pakistan had no conflict with the Afghan people but would not allow terrorists to use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Germany Salman Sharif and Sindh provincial ministers attended the Siemens meeting. Their presence underlined the provincial interest in the talks, since Sindh’s health network featured in the company’s briefing.
What happens next
The next step, on the Presidency’s account, is a visit by Siemens representatives to Pakistan to sign agreements with partners. Those agreements will show whether the Berlin pledges turn into training places, equipment and service support in hospitals.
For now, the meeting sets a clear direction: more technology in diagnosis and treatment, more training for health workers, and a push to take standardised care beyond major cities. Patients in remote districts stand to gain most if that direction holds.
Pakistan’s wider reform drive points in the same direction. The government plans to scrap a large share of business rules to attract investment, while Pakistan is seeking road links to Central Asia through China to boost trade. At the United Nations, Pakistan has called for fairer civil nuclear cooperation, and on the border, warning shots were fired at Torkham after Afghan forces resumed work on a border post.
Frequently asked questions
Who met President Zardari in Berlin?
Siemens Healthineers executives, led by Executive Vice President Daniel Frisch, called on the president during his visit to Germany.
What did Siemens promise?
The company expressed readiness to enhance support for Pakistan’s health infrastructure through innovative solutions, technology and capacity building.
What happens next?
Siemens representatives will soon visit Pakistan to sign memoranda of understanding with partners in capacity building and technology.
How long has Siemens worked in Pakistan?
The Presidency said the company’s health division has been present in Pakistan for decades, with more than 100 employees in three major cities.
Source: Dawn.
