Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on Saturday inaugurated the two-day National Scientific Congress (NSC) held at Pakistan China Friendship Centre. Speaking on the occasion, HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri lauded efforts of Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University (STMU), Shifa International Hospitals, Fauji Foundation Hospital and other stakeholders for organising NSC and providing support to HEC priority to enhance quality and relevant of research in the country. Dr Tariq Banuri said that currently approximately 3 million people are enrolled in higher education in the country and the number is increasing at 10 percent every year that speaks high of HEC’s commitment. Dr Banuri asked for support from organisers of NSC to work for a multi-partner agreement to develop National Research Health Agenda for which HEC will provide funding. According to Dr Banuri, research priorities for National Research Health Agenda should focus on curative, preventive, local research and development of national data base. STMU Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammad Iqbal and chairman of the congress told that healthcare industry was ideally placed to embrace innovations and emerging guidelines to address key medical needs and issues at national level. He also told media about the key objectives of NSC which are to review and discuss the current state of innovation, research, challenges and opportunities in health sector in Pakistan and to explore how national and international stakeholders could collaborate to use NSC as an information hub to be utilised for further research. “At NSC, we are putting all possible efforts to enhance quality and efficiency of healthcare sector in Pakistan. The vision of congress encompassed innovation in medical research and practices, integration of new ideas and disciplines and application of research outcomes to address our national issues,” he said. The congress hosted parallel sessions on innovation revolving around the use of latest technologies like robotics, cyber knife, palliative care, digital health etc. At the same time, subject authorities held discussions on integration of different disciplines in order to improve patient and health care and moving towards its application whereby striving to achieve the sustainable development goals of quality healthcare services in Pakistan. Published in Daily Times, December 16th 2018.