LAHORE - Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital has launched its Zakat Collection Campaign 2019.
Addressing the media on Friday, SKMCH&RC Chief Medical Officer Dr Muhammad Aasim Yusuf said: “The hospital is providing cutting-edge financially supported diagnostic and treatment facilities to 70 to 80 percent of cancer patients and this requires a huge budget as treatment of cancer is very expensive.”
He continued: “The hospital has spent more than Rs39 billion on free treatment of deserving cancer patients over the last 24 years. Our annual budget for the year 2019 is Rs13 billion and Rs8.5 billion of this budget will come from public donations and Zakat. The remaining budget will come from the revenue generated from hospital services. The Zakat amount will be spent only on free treatment of deserving cancer patients.”
He added: “SKMCH&RC, Lahore has upgraded its Radiology Department with the latest state-of-the-art equipment. We recently acquired 3 Tesla MRI technology and upgraded our CT scanners, enabling us to greatly enhance the quality of cancer imaging at the hospital. Moreover, SKMCH&RC Peshawar has completed phase II of its development, with the introduction of radiation treatment facilities, and now has a functional Clinical and Radiation Oncology Department. Construction of Pakistan’s third and largest Shaukat Khanum hospital has also commenced in Karachi. It is expected that construction will be completed over the next three years at a total cost of Rs9 billion. The development of this comprehensive cancer diagnosis and treatment facility will be of enormous benefit not only to Karachi, but also to people of Sindh, and Balochistan.”
To a question, he said: “Cancer claims thousands of lives every year. According to the latest report by the World Health Organisation in 2018, there were approximately 150,000 to 200,000 new cases of cancer in Pakistan in the past year. The increasing number of cancer cases in the country is naturally reflected in our increasing workloads. We want to provide best cancer treatment facilities to every patient who comes to us, that is why we are continuously expanding our capacity.
“We have made payment of Zakat and donations very easy for everyone. The hospital has already activated its accounts in local and foreign banks. The donors can also deposit their Zakat, Sadqat and donations directly in SKMCH&RC, its regional offices, diagnostic centres, collection centres, all Pakistan Post Offices and easypaisa shops, UPaisa Shop, UBL Omni Dukan or NADRA e-Sahulat nationwide. The donors can also donate online at www.shaukatkhanum.org.pk and call at 0800 11555 for the collection of their Zakat cheques directly from their doorstep”.
He added that SKMT has its functional offices in Dubai, USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Norway. These offices are also receiving Zakat and donations over there. “