Shifa launches campaign on cancer awareness

Shifa International Hospital (SIH) formally launched a campaign on cancer awareness by arranging a hiking event on Margalla hills’ Trail 3 on Sunday. Dozens of children, families, cancer patients, doctors and people from all walks of life attended the healthy activity. Eminent consultant Dr Athar Niaz Rana, Chief Finance Officer SIH Syed Munir Hussain and many other dignitaries were also among the participants. Special caps with lavender-coloured ribbons for general cancer awareness were also distributed among the enthusiastic people.
Banners were displayed at the parking space of Trial 3, while posters about Shifa’s cancer awareness programme were also given to the citizens. Consultant Oncologist SIH Dr Kamran Rasheed, while addressing the gathering, briefed the participants on the deadly disease and importance of creating awareness through healthy activities. SIH Strategic Planning Director Mahmood Mirza enlightened the audience about Shifa’s cancer awareness campaign, its objectives and details of different events. He said Shifa believed that it was its prime responsibility to spread information on dreaded diseases like cancer.
“We have planned a number of events to create cancer awareness and promote healthy lifestyle,” he said, adding that a torch-bearing walk “Light the Night” would be held on January 25 at Gate No 1 of Shifa International Hospital to express solidarity with cancer patients. According to the programme, soccer matches are scheduled to be played at the Sports Complex on January 28 and January 29, while a “Cancer Walk” will be arranged on January 31 at China Chowk. He said on World Cancer Day falling on February 4, Shifa would formally open its Cancer Centre, a state-of-the-art facility for treatment and research.
Mirza stated that the centre was an unique facility in the entire region as Shifa had dedicated a complete multi-storey block for cancer services. He said the hospital would also distribute coupons for free mammography tests for diagnosing breast cancer in women on the occasion of World Cancer Day. Free cancer screening will start from February 6, 2011.