PESHAWAR: The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Peshawar is dedicated to providing vital cancer treatment to its patients, with over 90% of visitors receiving care free of charge, according to Dr. Aasim Yusuf, the hospital’s chief medical officer.
Dr. Yusuf revealed that the hospital caters to patients not only from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but also from Afghanistan, with 93% of them benefiting from complimentary care. Similarly, in the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Lahore, 75% of patients receive treatment without any cost.
Speaking at an event organized by the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust to raise donations during Ramadan, Dr. Yusuf highlighted the immense expense associated with cancer treatment, expressing gratitude to generous donors whose contributions make free treatment possible. He also provided insights into the ongoing projects of the SKMT.
Underlining the hospital’s achievements, Dr. Yusuf noted that the SKMCHRC in Peshawar, operational for eight years since December 2023, is the sole hospital in the province to attain the prestigious “Enterprise Accreditation” from the Joint Commission International. This accreditation has enabled the hospital to serve the region’s cancer patients comprehensively, sparing them the need to travel to other cities for diagnosis and treatment.
Since its inception, the hospital has provided a wide array of clinical services, including over 110,000 chemotherapy sessions and 95,000 radiotherapy sessions, alongside more than 3,700 surgical procedures conducted by highly skilled surgeons in state-of-the-art operating rooms.
Dr. Yusuf emphasized that the hospital remains committed to its mission of providing quality care, having delivered approximately Rs88 billion worth of treatment to deserving patients since 1994. He assured that zakat funds collected by the hospital are meticulously managed in accordance with Islamic principles, with strict adherence to sharia compliance certification.
