In Pakistan, every family has a designated hakim and at least one relative who dabbles in WhatsApp diagnoses, offering unverified remedies and unsolicited second opinions. Against this backdrop, digital health can easily be dismissed as just another fad, a shiny new layer over a culture of informal care, self-medication and a general mistrust of formal medical systems.

However, with a total population of 253 million, 116 million being internet users, Pakistan’s digital transformation is no longer theoretical, it is already underway. From banking to transport to food delivery, technology has disrupted sectors once thought immune to change; healthcare, though slower to evolve, is poised to follow. The demand is real, the reach is wide, and the opportunity to modernise healthcare has never been greater. The pressing question is how fast regulation and infrastructure can catch up.

There is no doubt that Pakistan is in dire need of scalable digital health platforms. Our health systems are overburdened, underfunded and deeply unequal. Public hospitals remain overcrowded, rural health units are understaffed, and private care is unaffordable for much of the population. Meanwhile, mobile phones with internet access are nearly everywhere, with social media platforms serving as first points of care, however risky that may be.

Enter digital health platforms: whether by virtue of offering AI-assisted triage or diagnostic services, telemedicine consults, e-pharmacy services or electronic medical records, these platforms have the potential to fill critical gaps. They can extend services to remote areas, reduce unnecessary visits to understaffed clinics, ensure continuity of care, and empower patients with information and agency.

The innovations already exist; the issue is that they currently operate in a legal grey area.

Where Are We Right Now?

Pakistan’s digital health legal framework may be patchy, but to its credit, the country has not been sitting idle. The National Digital Health Framework (NDHF 2022-2030), developed by the Ministry of National Health........

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