Rehman Medical Institute, Sky Travels and Tours signed MoU to promote
Medical Tourism for Afghans in Pakistan
Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Rehman Medical Institute in partnership with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Sky Travels and Tours has introduced Medical Tourism for Afghans to facilitate the patients from Afghanistan to get
cost-efficient and quality healthcare facilities in Pakistan.
Dr. Talha Dewan Ashfaq, Director Operations, Rehman Medical Institute
Mr. Muhammad Reza Qasmi, MD Sky Travels and Tours signed Memorandum of
Understanding. Air Marshal Mr. Arshad Malik, CEO PIA, Mr. Shafiq Ur
Rehman, CEO Rehman Medical Institute, Mr. Turab Ashghar, Head of
Marketing, Rehman Medical Institute, Mr. Tariq Khan, Head of
Department Business Development, Rehman Medical Institute were also
present at the MOU Signing Ceremony.
The agreement is aimed to promote Medical Tourism to help the Afghan
community, who has been suffering with poor health system since long.
This agreement gives an invaluable opportunity for Afghans to receive
better medical treatment at a reasonable cost, mainly complex medical
procedures, such as Trans-plants and other complicated surgeries.
Rehman Medical Institute is a well renowned institute with a good
reputation and has offered its services to not only locals but also
Afghan citizens at a reasonable price.
Health care system in Afghanistan is facing a lot of challenges that
are not limited to unavailability of qualified doctors and institutes,
medical equipment, power cuts, etc.
We do recognize that travelling for health is not a new fact or a
situation but people of Afghanistan have been striving solutions or
destinations that can provide services and benefits helping certain
illnesses.
Until 2016, Pakistan remained the top destination for Afghan medical
tourists because of common culture, language and less expensive
treatments than anywhere else in the region.
The government of Pakistan has recently started taking strategic
measures to revive the medical tourism by easing the visa process and
increasing the duration to one year.
Air Marshal Mr. Arshad Malik, CEO PIA said that, the initiative
between Rehman Medical Institute and Sky Travels would facilitate the
patients from Afghanistan to get quality healthcare facilities and
enhance the bilateral relationship between the neighboring counties.
PIA has expanded its flights from 3 to 5 flights to accommodate more
visitors.
Mr. Shafiq Ur Rehman, CEO Rehman Medical Institute appreciated the
invaluable support of PIA and Sky Travels and Tours for implementing
this initiative in Pakistan. The Rehman Medical Institute would
provide a dedicated health service to the patients visiting from
Afghanistan. We will ensure that, the patients would get
cost-efficient and timely medical care. The patients would also be
provided e-consultation with doctors, air ambulance facilities. Rehman
Medical Institute is state of the art healthcare hospital with 500-bed
and 37 specialties. According to Dr. Moeed Yousaf
Mr. Muhammad Reza Qasmi, MD Sky Travels and Tours said that, Rehman
Medical Institute has strengthened the medical tourism sector since
2002 between Afghanistan and Pakistan, he further said that PIA and
Sky Travels increased the flights.
According to Dr. Moeed Yousaf , Special Assistant on National
Security, a multiplier effect of additional US$ 2 billion can be
achieved from medical tourism, religious tourism, transport services,
manpower, pharmaceuticals, marble & granite and salt products. He
apprised that there is potential of additional exports worth US $ 16.7
billion to UAE, USA, China, Germany, UK, France, Indonesia, Spain,
Algeria and Malaysia.
