A.I. Horizons in Medicine & Dentistry: Navigating the Future

The healthcare sector of Pakistan is a dynamic and diverse aggregation of multiple entities ranging from educational and research institutions, service delivery centers, manufacturing facilities, and regulatory bodies. These entities function not only in individual spheres as per their capabilities and aspirations but also as a collaborative whole formed due to the interplay of their constituent units. Likewise, the efficacy of their functionality is perceived and determined at the levels of sub-sectors as well as at the level of the sector as a whole. The landscape of healthcare in Pakistan is characterized by policy commitments of access and quality that guide the governance of healthcare and regulate the market actors. In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, sub-sectoral and cross-sectoral developments are taking place at a rapid pace owing to the evolving needs and changing dynamics of the supply side along with that of market forces. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a catalyst of growth and reforms in the healthcare sector at a global level and Pakistan is no exception as every facet of the sector is being influenced, shaped, and recalibrated by the adoption of AI.

Pakistan Association of Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) recognizes the developments taking place in global healthcare and encourages knowledge creation and advancement of the development agenda at the country level. The role of the private sector is critical in embracing technological advancements and it can also serve as a conduit between different stakeholders due to its key position in the healthcare ecosystem i.e. with a membership of 110 medical and dental colleges out of a total of 160 across the country. Therefore, this platform in the form of the International Medical Conference has the potential to lead the strategic and operational domains of healthcare in Pakistan by bringing together all the stakeholders. I am excited that PAMI has organized the International Medical Conference (IMC) 2024 “AI Horizons in Medicine: Navigating the Future of Healthcare” to foster a culture of collaboration under the shared vision of transforming the healthcare sector of Pakistan. I am confident that IMC will act as a synergizing force for defining and adopting a unified agenda of realizing the dream of providing quality healthcare to the citizens of this country.