PESHAWAR – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti laid foundation stone of the second Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Peshawar in a ceremony on Wednesday. Shaukat Khanum Hospital Medical Director Dr Asim Yousaf said some 40,000 cancer patients who belonged to KP and adjacent tribal regions came to Lahore for their treatment that was 13 percent of the total patients. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust chief cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said the trust decided to open another hospital in Peshawar that would go for a detailed research and analyses to find out reasons behind high cancer rate in the region.
Amir Haider Khan Hoti termed the establishment of cancer hospital in Peshawar as a milestone in the history of the province and thanked Imran Khan for choosing Peshawar for this project. A number of individuals and families announced handsome donations for the hospital. Industrialist Mohsin Aziz topped in this regard by donating Rs 10 million and Mrs Abdul Qayoom stood second with Rs six million while over all donations pledged by the individuals reached around Rs 50 million. Amir Haider Khan Hoti announced Rs 50 million and a piece of land and also assured of allocating more funds for the hospital.