LAHORE: In a report by Gallup Pakistan short roundup of health infrastructure in Pakistan 2000-2015 based on Pakistan Economic Survey 2015-2016, it is mentioned that “Pakistan was unable to meet its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health and ranks 149 in 188 countries in the first global assessment of countries.
One of the most ignored parts of healthcare in Pakistan over the years has been the provision of medical facilities for cancer patients. In the developing world, nearly 20% of cancers are due to infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human papillomavirus infection. Early detection through screening is useful.
In Pakistan, there is a serious shortage of cancer hospitals. At present, there are very few full-fledged cancer hospitals in the country.
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission or PAEC operates 18 cancer hospitals all over Pakistan. The PAEC has made a priority to apply nuclear technology in order to improve Pakistan’s health sector. However the work done by Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) since its inception is second to none and in a short span of twenty-three years, it has established itself as the leading hospital for cancer care in the country.
SKMCH&RC treats 75% of its patients for free every year. It provides State-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic facilities for cancer patients irrespective of their ability to pay.
The hospital realizes its responsibilities in the fight against cancer and therefore, it has established the second cancer hospital in Peshawar which is fully operational and has acquired land in Karachi where the groundbreaking has already taken place and planning of the hospital is already in progress.
SKMCH&RC has also established a number of centres all over Pakistan that help in the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer in Pakistan as well as Outreach Cancer Screening Walk-in-Clinics in Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Multan apart from Diagnostic Centres in Lahore and Karachi.
