F.P. Report
KARACHI: I am a retired teacher from Sindh and a father of four children. I travelled 1,200 km via train to reach Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore for treatment of suspected mouth cancer. I had to leave behind my family for the duration of treatment and stay in a shelter in Lahore, shared Umar. Many cancer patients and families continue to struggle under the burden of cancer in the absence of a specialist cancer hospital in the region that provides comprehensive cancer care under one roof, irrespective of a patient’s paying power.
Sharing the burden of over 180,000 new cancer patients in Pakistan
According to the World Health Organization, there are nearly 180,000 new cancer cases in Pakistan each year and majority of our population is unable to afford expensive cancer treatment out-of-pocket. There is an urgent need to augment the country’s capacity to manage the burden of cancer in a way that is also accessible to the wide-majority of Pakistanis, regardless of who they are or where they live. In order to bridge this gap and to provide free and high-quality cancer care to as many people as possible, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre has undertaken the enormous task of constructing Pakistan’s largest cancer hospital in Karachi.
Pakistan’s biggest cancer hospital at 1 million sq. ft. constructed area
At over 1 million square feet of constructed area, it is twice the size of the hospital in Lahore, and will have 48 outpatient examination rooms, a 70 bed chemotherapy facility, 288 inpatient beds, 16 operation theatres, 24 intensive care beds, and 22 emergency assessment beds. The new hospital will serve not only the city of Karachi, but also patients from elsewhere in Sindh, as well as from Southern Baluchistan.
The physical structure of the new Hospital was completed in November 2022 and finishing work at the site in DHA City continues at speed. In total, the project cost is around Rs. 30 billion and funds are still needed to complete the finishing work and to help install the state-of-the-art equipment for diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients in Karachi.
Our collective responsibility
These are challenging economic times for Pakistan, but it is important to remember that cancer does not take a break and it is our collective responsibility to make cancer care accessible to people, regardless of their ability to pay. Together, we can complete a world-class cancer facility in Karachi.
Continued support from Pakistanis residing around the globe has ensured that the Shaukat Khanum Hospital network grows from strength to strength over the last three decades, providing free of charge treatment to over 75% of all patients seen each year.
Shaukat Khanum belongs to all the people of Pakistan – they built it, they support it and it is only with their ongoing support and generosity that we will see a fully-functional cancer hospital, in Karachi, with all facilities available under one roof. Each one of us can play a vital role in helping those less fortunate than us to fight the scourge of cancer in Pakistan. Each rupee counts! You can pledge a regular contribution for SKMCH&RC, Karachi, and make an ongoing commitment to help equip the hospital.
