ILO and HSA agree to strengthen OSA for quality health services
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Health Services Academy (HSA) have agreed to strengthen institutional coordination and enhance the focus on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) to ensure Pakistan’s workforce has access to quality, timely, and prevention-focused social security services.
A two-day “National Dialogue on Strengthening Service Delivery in Employees’ Social Security Institutions (ESSIs) of Pakistan” was held here under the joint auspices of the ILO and the Health Services Academy, as part of the “Working for Health Programme”.
The initiative aims to promote a safe, dignified, and healthy working environment in the health sector. ESSIs play a central role in Pakistan’s labour and social protection system by providing healthcare, compensation, and rehabilitation services. Strengthening their institutional capacity was identified as critical for developing a more worker-centred and prevention-oriented system aligned with international standards and advancing towards universal social protection.
Senior representatives from ESSIs in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated in the national dialogue. Through technical sessions and experience-sharing discussions, participants explored ways to improve service delivery, contribution compliance, hospital governance, and OSH practices.
Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, Professor Dr Shahzad Ali Khan, said the dialogue provided an important opportunity to strengthen OSH across both government institutions serving insured workers and the broader health sector.
He noted that bringing all provincial social security institutions to a single platform for knowledge and experience-sharing would help improve health services and promote decent work in Pakistan.
ILO Pakistan Country Director, Geir Tonstol, said that the Employees’ Social Security Institutions stand at the frontline of protection for millions of workers and their families; however, quality services cannot be ensured without safeguarding the health and safety of healthcare workers.
He reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to supporting Pakistan in developing prevention-focused, internationally aligned OSH systems so that every insured worker receives timely and dignified support, which remains a core component of the Decent Work Agenda.
Commissioner PESSI, Muhammad Ali, stated that, in collaboration with the ILO, the “HealthWISE Toolkit” has been implemented in PESSI hospitals, resulting in visible improvements in ergonomics, safe waste management, and OSH training for staff.
He reiterated the institution’s commitment to expanding services and strengthening partnerships with other provincial ESSIs so that more workers can benefit from social security coverage.
