The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Health Services Academy (HSA) today forged a new partnership to reinforce Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards, highlighting that the well-being of healthcare professionals is fundamental to delivering quality social security services to millions of workers across Pakistan.
The agreement was announced following a two-day ‘National Dialogue on Strengthening Service Delivery in Employees’ Social Security Institutions (ESSIs) of Pakistan,’ held in the capital under the joint patronage of the ILO and the HSA.
This initiative is a component of the wider Working for Health Programme, which seeks to cultivate a safe, dignified, and healthy professional environment within the health sector. ESSIs are central to Pakistan”s social protection framework, offering healthcare, compensation, and rehabilitation, making their institutional enhancement vital for a more worker-focused system.
Senior officials from ESSIs in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attended the dialogue. They engaged in technical sessions and collaborative discussions to identify strategies for improving service delivery, contribution compliance, hospital governance, and OSH protocols.
Professor Dr Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, described the dialogue as a significant opportunity to bolster OSH in government institutions and the health sector at large. He emphasized that uniting all provincial social security bodies on one platform for knowledge exchange would elevate health services and advance the cause of decent work.
Geir Tonstol, the ILO Pakistan Country Director, asserted that quality services cannot be guaranteed without protecting the health and safety of healthcare providers themselves. He reaffirmed the ILO’s dedication to helping Pakistan create prevention-oriented OSH systems that align with global standards, ensuring every insured worker gets timely support as part of the Decent Work Agenda.
Providing a practical example of progress, PESSI Commissioner Muhammad Ali reported on the successful implementation of the ILO’s HealthWISE Toolkit in PESSI hospitals. He noted that the program has yielded “visible improvements” in ergonomics, safe waste management, and OSH training for personnel and affirmed his institution”s goal to broaden service coverage.
The collaborative effort under the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health Programme is supporting Pakistan”s social security institutions to fortify workplace safety, refine service delivery mechanisms, and provide health professionals with the tools needed for preventive and dignified care.