ISLAMABAD – International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Health Services Academy (HSA) recently held a two-day National Dialogue aimed at strengthening occupational safety and health (OSH) systems in Pakistan’s health sector. The event focused on improving service delivery, enhancing coordination across Employees’ Social Security Institutions (ESSIs), and ensuring safer working environments for insured workers and the staff who care for them.
The dialogue is part of the ongoing collaboration between ILO and HSA under the Working for Health Programme (W4H), which seeks to promote safe, decent, and prevention-focused working conditions in health services nationwide. Senior representatives from ESSIs in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated in the sessions, sharing experiences and exploring ways to enhance hospital governance, OSH practices, and contribution compliance.
“ESSIs are the frontline of protection for millions of workers and their families,” said Geir Tonstol, Country Director, ILO Pakistan. “Ensuring quality services for workers is impossible without guaranteeing safety and health standards for healthcare personnel. The ILO remains committed to supporting Pakistan in building internationally aligned, prevention-focused OSH systems so that every insured worker receives timely and dignified support. This is central to the Decent Work agenda.”
Professor Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, highlighted the significance of the dialogue: “This platform allows provincial social security institutions to exchange knowledge, improve service delivery, and advance decent work across the health sector. Strengthening OSH is key to achieving these goals, and HSA is committed to centralizing OSH across our systems.”
Muhammad Ali, Commissioner of the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI), noted the progress made through collaboration with the ILO: “With the implementation of the HealthWISE toolkit in our hospitals, we are already seeing improvements in ergonomics, safer waste management, and OSH training for staff. We remain committed to expanding our services and building partnerships with other provincial ESSIs so that more workers benefit from social security.”
Since its launch, the ILO–OECD–WHO Working for Health Programme in Pakistan has supported ESSIs by strengthening workplace safety, improving service delivery, and equipping health professionals with the tools to provide preventive, dignified, and worker-centered care.
The dialogue underscores the importance of coordinated action, knowledge-sharing, and institutional strengthening to ensure that OSH practices in health services meet international standards while safeguarding the workforce that underpins Pakistan’s healthcare system.
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