PHC Calls For Prevention-focused Approach To Curb NCD Burden
LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2026) A prevention-first, people-centred and safety-focused healthcare approach can help contain the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and protect patients from avoidable harm through timely screening, early diagnosis, safe medication use, coordinated treatment, continuity of care, and informed patient participation.
This call was made at a webinar organized by the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) to mark World Patient Safety Day on Friday, bringing together healthcare leaders, clinicians, and academicians.
Commissioner PHC Prof Nauman Tarif, who chaired the webinar, said prevention must be prioritized, although the country had moved away from this concept. He noted that resource allocation was under strain due to population growth, while environmental factors were adversely affecting people’s health.
He stressed the need to take symptoms seriously and urged physicians to demonstrate empathy towards patients.
In his opening presentation, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PHC Dr. Muhammad Saqib Aziz highlighted the need for a stronger regulatory and quality-of-care response to the growing NCD burden. He stated that patient safety risks could emerge at every stage of NCD care, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.
He emphasized the importance of:
- Timely screening
- Accurate diagnosis
- Safe medication practices
- Coordinated referrals
- Continuity of care
- Meaningful patient engagement
He explained that the PHC’s minimum service delivery standards enabled healthcare establishments to identify safety gaps, implement corrective measures, and institutionalize continuous quality improvement to prevent avoidable harm and ensure safe and equitable care.
Former provincial health minister Prof. Dr. Javed Akram said health excellence for underprivileged communities depended on person-centered, equitable, and preventive healthcare rather than solely on hospital-centered treatment. Referring to the growing burden of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other NCDs, he called for:
- Stronger primary healthcare
- Early screening
- Health literacy, particularly among women
- Sustained investment in prevention
He stressed that every patient, regardless of financial status, deserved dignity, affordable services, continuity of care, and a meaningful voice in healthcare decisions.
Prof Dr Rashid Latif said exposure to various stresses and consumption of adulterated food were contributing to the development of NCDs despite awareness of their harmful effects. He noted that people had replaced costless healthy living with an expensive mechanized lifestyle and called for a greater focus on prevention and continuous mass-level awareness.
He emphasized the need to identify and manage people at risk of becoming patients before they developed disease.
Prof. Dr. Bilquis Shabbir highlighted diagnostic safety as a key component of safe healthcare, noting that missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnoses could lead to severe consequences.