Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has launched a climate-resilient transformation of healthcare infrastructure at Karachi Port Trust Hospital, Port Qasim Medical Center, and Gwadar Port Hospital to strengthen maritime health systems against climate-related risks.
In a high-level meeting in Islamabad, the federal minister announced the launch of the nationwide baseline assessment of these key facilities, aiming to integrate climate adaptation into maritime healthcare.
He directed taking measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize contamination risks, and develop climate-resilient healthcare systems that align with global health goals and support wider climate change mitigation, ultimately creating safer environments for patients, staff, and nearby communities.
He highlighted the development of a comprehensive digital health roadmap focused on emergency preparedness for climate-induced disasters, occupational health amid changing environmental conditions, and equitable medical services for vulnerable maritime and port communities.
The roadmap’s first phase will prioritize targeted upgrades at KPT, Port Qasim, and Gwadar hospitals, addressing critical gaps in trauma response, mental health care, and disease outbreak readiness exacerbated by climate change driving more frequent, intense, and prolonged heatwaves globally, impacting human health, ecosystems, and infrastructure significantly, the minister stated.
Minister Junaid Chaudhry stressed that despite the strategic importance of these ports, their medical facilities currently fall short of international standards like WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006), particularly in managing climate-driven health challenges.
Key deficiencies include outdated emergency systems, absence of standardized infection control and quarantine protocols, and lack of digital health records and telemedicine, limiting rapid responses to maritime emergencies such as oil spills, extreme weather events, and disease outbreaks intensified by climate change, he noted.
He underscored the urgent need for real-time data sharing and integration with provincial health departments to enhance coordinated responses during climate-related maritime crises.
The minister emphasized strengthening maternal and child health services, introducing gender-sensitive infrastructure, and establishing occupational disease surveillance systems tailored to the evolving risks faced by port workers and seafarers in a changing climate.
Mental health support and stress management programs will be expanded to address the psychological impacts of climate stressors on maritime laborers, he added.
He said a dedicated team will oversee progress, resource mobilization, and transparent implementation of climate-adaptive maritime health systems.
He said inclusive consultations with fisherfolk unions, port worker associations, healthcare NGOs, and provincial health authorities will be held to ensure community-specific planning that reflects the realities of climate vulnerability.
Minister Chaudhry emphasized, “The health and resilience of maritime workforce are vital to sustaining trade and national growth amid climate challenges. Strengthening health systems is essential not only as a moral duty but as a foundation for economic and environmental resilience.”
According to estimates, the total daily patient visits across Karachi Port Trust Hospital, Port Qasim Medical Center, and Gwadar Port Hospital could range approximately between 2,000 to 3,000 patients per day.
