Turkish Delegation Visits PDA to Share Two Decades of Digital Health Experience

The fastest way to build something is to sit with people who have already built it.

A delegation from Türkiye visited the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) Headquarters to share Türkiye's experience in developing unified medical records and interoperable healthcare systems. The delegation was received by Shah Zaib Saleem, Chief Digital Delivery Officer, PDA.

The session traced the evolution of Türkiye's digital health infrastructure over the past two decades, covering the decisions, sequencing and institutional groundwork behind it. Two decades of experience, and the problems encountered along the way, are difficult to acquire any other way, and valuable lessons were shared for Pakistan's digital health transformation.

PDA shared its vision for digital health: standardisation, data regulation, interoperability, and a unified experience for the citizen across services that currently operate separately. Unified medical records have already been identified as a national priority for Pakistan's health sector. Türkiye's experience underlined how much of that work is institutional rather than simply technical.

Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and to explore avenues for collaboration. This was a meaningful exchange of experience, expertise and vision as Pakistan advances towards a more connected and citizen-centred digital future. Borrowing Türkiye's experience will help Pakistan move faster, because experience is the one thing a country cannot build for itself.