SKMCH to celebrate 30-year journey

LAHORE : Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) Saturday launched a campaign to celebrate its 30-year journey of providing comprehensive cancer care to patients.

Being a developing country, cancer was considered the ultimate symbol of hopelessness and almost certain death, Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore emerged as the first beacon of hope.

Despite initial scepticism about the hospital's model of providing free cancer treatment to over 75 percent of its patients, the hospital has continued to thrive and grow, thanks to the unwavering support of its donors and well-wishers. Over the past three decades, the hospital has spent Rs 102 billion to fund free cancer treatment, provided over 1 million chemotherapy sessions, 1 million radiation sessions, and brought cutting-edge technologies like Pakistan's first PET-CT scanner to the country. The hospital organises one of the country’s largest breast cancer awareness campaigns and has also established Punjab's first population-based cancer registry, which contributes data to the WHO's Global Cancer Observatory Report. As a model institution, SKMCH&RC aspires to achieve industry specific international accreditation and has achieved Joint Commission International Enterprise Accreditation, Quality in Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) certification, and College of American Pathologists certification.