Islamabad - Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital has proved that Pakistanis have full ability to build and run high standard hospitals where they can get equal treatment, said Imran Khan, Chairman Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, in an event held here last night.
The event was organised to highlight the progress of construction work of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, which will open its doors for patients in December 2015. A large number of ambassadors from various countries, ex-ambassadors of Pakistan, members of board of governors of SKMT and hospital’s donors participated in the event.
In his speech, Imran Khan talked about the hardships and difficulties faced during the different phases of construction of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore. He recalled the opinion of professionals that the project would never be materialised or if started then it would not sustain for three months. But his determination and the complete support of the people of Pakistan proved otherwise and the hospital has been successfully providing treatment to patients for the last 20 years. He thanked the ambassadors for their participation in the event and requested to help the hospital find high-qualified health professionals and oncologists from their respective countries.
Imran informed the audience that after starting the cancer treatment in Peshawar, SKMCH&RC will start a project to build a cancer hospital in Karachi.
In the beginning, Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, welcomed the guests and briefed the audience about the hospital in Lahore. He informed the audience that 75% of patients are being treated free of cost in SKMCH&RC Lahore and a huge amount of Rs 20 billion has so far been spent on this supported treatment.
On this occasion, Dr Aasim Yusuf, Medical Director of SKMCH&RC, presented a detailed presentation with statistics and other important information about the hospital. He also highlighted and explained the reasons to build a cancer hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which will also provide cancer treatment to the people of FATA, Afghanistan and neighbouring areas, in compliance to the mission of the hospital. The natives of these areas will also be benefited with new jobs and learning modern skills in medical field. He also mentioned that there is no VIP culture in the hospital and the rich and the poor are treated equally. All the cases are dealt on merit. The hospital is providing education to healthcare professionals and the public, and the research into the causes and treatment of cancer is also the integral part of its mission, Dr Aasim concluded.