State-of-the-art cancer hospital being established in Capital, Senate told

National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Minister Saira Afzal Tarar on Friday said concrete measures were being made to establish a state-of-the-art cancer hospital in the federal capital.

Speaking in the Senate during question hour, the minister said ministry of health was seriously considering setting up a 500-bed cancer hospital and Rs 300 million had been allocated for the financial year 2016-17.

She said PC-1 had been submitted by Progressive Consultants to the ministry with a total cost of around Rs 21 billion, adding after approval the PC-1 would be forwarded to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform for consideration by Central Developmental Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

However, she said the site of construction of the health facility had not been finalised, adding a 20 to 25-acre land was required for a cancer hospital.

For this purpose, she added CDA chairman had been requested to provide the land at a suitable place, where people could easily approach from all over Pakistan.

She said hospital would provide a comprehensive cancer treatment for all types of cancers and also impart post-graduate, undergraduate and paramedical training in all branches of oncology to generate trained medical and paramedical manpower in the field of oncology for the country.

She said a consultant firm (Progressive Consultants) was hired through a competitive bidding process to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a cancer hospital in Islamabad.

The feasibility study includes conceptual architectural design, cost estimates of the construction work, medical equipment, HR requirements and recurring cost after establishment of the hospital, and to develop the PC-1 on the basis of the feasibility study, the minister added.

Replying to another question, Tarar informed the house that a total of 348 students had been sent abroad for higher education since January, 2015. 10 students from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 57 from Balochistan, 12 from FATA-Gilgit Baltistan, three from Islamabad, 40 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 155 from Punjab, and 71 from Sindh.