Bahria Town to build world class spinal cord hospitals

Rs5 bn centres to start working at Bahria Town Islamabad, Lahore in three months; Malik Riaz signs agreement with London Neurosciences Centre;
says modern healthcare facilities in Pakistan his dream

LONDON: A historic agreement has been signed between Bahria Town and London Neurosurgery Partnership & London Neurosciences Centre Limited, which would bring about revolutionary health facilities to Pakistan as well as the region.

The agreement was signed here formally by Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz Hussain and a specialist team of Harley Street Clinic, London’s top 25 surgeons, led by famous neurologist, Dr Irfan Malik.

Malik Riaz also addressed a joint press conference on the occasion, along with the surgeons. The top surgeon, who attended the event, included Richard Gullen, Tom Usher, Irfan Malik, Richard Selway, Chris Chandler, Nick Thomas, David Bell, Senan Barazi, Thomas Colsted, Robert Weeks, Ranj Bhangoo, Sanj Bassi, K Ashkan, Dr Ahmad, K Barakas and Peter Janous.

Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, the Army Public School (APS) attack survivor, helped by Malik Riaz and Dr Irfan Malik, was also present on the occasion.

Malik Riaz said if the problems of education, health and unemployment afflicting the people of Pakistan are solved, terrorism would ultimately be eliminated from the country. He said it was a responsibility of the philanthropists of Pakistan to come forward to help end sufferings of the poor people.

Malik Riaz announced that the world class spinal surgery and neurosurgery rehabilitation centres would be built with over Rs5 billion at Bahria Town Enclave Islamabad, Golf City Islamabad and Bahria Orchard Lahore and these would become operational in three months. He said the British medical experts would run these centres.

Malik Riaz said he was proud that he was able to help APS victim Ibrahim Khan get treatment abroad. But, he added, it was unfortunate that no such medical facilities were available in Pakistan currently.

“It will also be for the first time in Pakistan that we will provide pioner surgery, key hole spine surgery, robotic spine surgery and latest state-of-the-art spine related surgery. “Senior spinal faculty from the UK and the USA would run the hospital and same level of quality treatment would be provided that people experience at the Harley Street Clinic,” promised Malik Riaz.

He said that meeting Ibrahim (APS victim) and providing for his medical care at London Harley Street Clinic was a defining moment for the partnership. “Finding out that such treatment is not possible in Pakistan, and there are thousands who anguish in pain due to similar circumstances, I decided to bring this surgically advanced procedure to Pakistan.

“My dream is to build a high-tech holistic care centre, at the cutting edge of medical and surgical technology that would offer the world’s most advanced medical care to patients in Pakistan,” he added.

Neuro and Spinal Surgeons Dr Richard Gullen and Dr Irfan Malik said: “We are proud to have partnered with Bahria Town on extending the same medical facilities and expertise, that our patients in London experience, to people of Pakistan.

“This world class medical facility in Pakistan will not only provide the required treatment to those in need but will also help establish health sector by providing training and setting an example for the rest.

“We are very excited to review the current state of progress of these three hospitals, where we can start working with our team in three months time only,” they added. Dr Richard Gullen said that a team of surgeon would start New Pionering Key Hole Minimal Invasive Surgery in three months time at Bahria Town Islamabad and Lahore hospitals. In these hospitals, world class cardiac centres, lever and kidney transplant centres cochlear implant centre and clinical interventional neurology departments would also be established.

Dr Irfan Malik said overseas doctors wanted to help Pakistan but needed encouragement from the public and private institutions in Pakistan. “Doctors believe that Pakistan has given them everything and they have made name abroad because of the education they received in Pakistan and they want to pay back to Pakistan, but need cordial atmosphere and proper and professional partnerships to deliver their services and expertise in the best possible manner,” he said.

Bahria Hospital is also securing Generation Cyberknife and Proton Beam Therapy, which would help provide treatment needs of all types of cancer patients. This technology would be used for spinal cord, brain, chest, lungs, prostate, kidneys and blood cancer cases.