ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Health Ministry is moving to introduce digital monitoring in government hospitals after the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), with officials considering artificial intelligence to track public complaints, spot management gaps, and improve hospital services.
Officials said digital systems could help authorities identify problems faster, monitor hospital performance, and ensure that complaints are followed up.
The approach could give health authorities a clearer picture of problems across government hospitals and help them track whether corrective measures are taken.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal met with Pakistan Digital Authority Chairman Dr. Sohail Munir to discuss how technology could be used to improve the management of government hospitals.
The Health Ministry has decided to seek support from the Pakistan Digital Authority as officials work on the proposed digital system.
A major part of the proposed reform is an AI-powered complaint management system that could allow citizens to report hospital-related problems by phone.
According to Health Ministry officials, AI agents could receive calls from patients and members of the public, record their complaints, and track the status of each case. The system could also help authorities identify repeated complaints and determine which hospitals, departments, or services may need immediate attention.
However, officials would still need strong human oversight to ensure that complaints are properly handled. The success of an AI-based system would also depend on public access, reliable technology, and the authorities' ability to respond to problems identified through digital monitoring.
