Daily Times

SIALKOT: Pakistan’s surgical Industry has seen its fair share of impediments. Availability of skilled labor, lack of innovation and leakage of advanced technology to meet the global trade are some in the long list of woes.

Leader of Pakistan’s surgical Industry Jehangir Bajwa said that the century old surgical industry was in dire need of technology transfer from developed European as well as other countries. He revealed that a huge segment of medical equipment that was not being produced in house by manufacturers and exporters was due to prolonged absence of advanced technology.

He also stated that there was a huge market in states such as USA, Germany, France as well as China that brought substantial demand for medical equipment and that a great potential lied overseas to explore and capture the new international trade markets.

Bajwa said that Chinese companies were leading in medical equipment trade globally and that Pakistan should initiate joint ventures with different Chinese companies to bring advanced technologies to Sialkot.

He said, “We have already provided a list of different Chinese companies which were ready to start joint ventures with Sialkot based surgical manufacturers and exporters”.

Even a single Chinese-Pakistan venture could become a blessing for industrial city. These ventures would not only open new business prospects but also explore and capture untapped world markets.

Further on, Jehangir Bajwa answered upon asking that there was a decline in surgical exports from Sialkot to US $ 350 million from US $ 400 million to Europe and other countries due to the prevailing Coronavirus pandemic.

Unfortunately, the industry has been suffering from lack of skilled labour for a long time. Therefore, he urged the government to announce advanced training programmes and workshops to enhance essential skills of the surgical industry’s labour force.

The former Chairman of the Surgical Association pledged to modernize the surgical industry by ensuring the early transfer of advanced manufacturing technology.

He disclosed that the surgical industry of Pakistan has enough potential to double the surgical exports from existing US $ 350 million within the next couple of years with proper patronage by the government, in this regard.

As a result, it was urged to the surgical exporters to also focus on the diversification from traditional to non-traditional surgical instruments. He added that this much needed step could also help boost exports.

The surgical Industry is producing over ten thousand different medical instruments; covering all sections of Surgical, Dental, Veterinary, Beauty and so many other products.

Adopting positive steps for advanced standards of international marketing and brand developing could help in reviving the surgical industry.

He urged the local manufacturers and exporters to focus on the innovation of new things, technology transfers and diversification to meet global challenges and increase world market share from the current 1% figure.

Jehangir Bajwa revealed that the surgical industry of Sialkot has sought the early proper governmental patronage for promoting itself and the easy access of Sialkot based surgical instruments to the international markets. These instruments have huge consumption abroad and could result in increased exports if worked upon correctly.