Syed Shamim Raza

Director, Department of Pharmacy

Syed Shamim Raza provides strategic, clinical, operational, and financial oversight for the Department of Pharmacy, a critical support service that directly impacts patient safety and quality of care. His leadership focuses on strengthening medication safety systems and driving digital health and technology transformation. This strategic oversight extends across AKUH's extensive network, which includes over 50 pharmacies across Pakistan.

Mr Raza’s tenure at AKUH began in 1999 as a Trainee Pharmacist. He has since built end-to-end leadership expertise across the pharmacy value chain, managing operations at the main hospital campus and diverse off-campus healthcare facilities. This experience enables him to seamlessly integrate clinical priorities, operational performance, and governance to deliver safe, efficient, and patient-centred pharmacy services.

A defining milestone in his career was his three-year appointment as Administrator of Pharmacy Services at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. In this complex international environment, he strengthened service delivery, led multidisciplinary teams, and broadened his perspective on enterprise leadership and sustainable performance.

Throughout his career, Mr Raza has driven significant departmental advancements. He has contributed to developing an International Pharmacy Practice Residency Programme, expanding corporate pharmacy services, championing antimicrobial stewardship, and guiding organisational readiness for Joint Commission International, SafeCare, and SHCC accreditations.

Mr Raza has pursued extensive executive and leadership training, including a Research Ethics Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, alongside senior leadership programmes at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), INSEAD, and the National University of Singapore Business School. Furthermore, he is an active member of the Pakistan Pharmacist Association and the Pharmacy Council of Sindh.

Mr Raza’s leadership philosophy is grounded in inspiring continuous improvement, driving innovation, and building high-performing teams. Ultimately, he envisions transforming AKUH’s Pharmacy Services into a recognised centre of excellence, establishing national benchmarks for safe, effective, and sustainable healthcare delivery.