January 03, 2011: Under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, a number of ‘state subjects’ inclusive of health have been devolved to the provinces in an attempt to enhance provincial autonomy in Pakistan’s federating system. As a corollary, it has been pronounced that the Federal Ministry of Health doesn’t need to exist anymore. Within that context, this comment underscores the salience of the federal Ministry of Health’s role and cautions against its abolition