Shaukat Khanum Hospital launches Zakat collection campaign

LAHORE: Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital has launches its Zakat collection campaign for the year 2020.

In a statement here on Saturday, the management of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center (SKMCH&RC) said the hospital is providing cutting-edge financially supported diagnostic and treatment facilities to its almost from 75 per cent to 80 per cent cancer patients and this requires a huge budget as treatment of cancer is very expensive.

The hospital has already spent over Rs46 billion on free treatment of deserving cancer patients during the last 25 years.

The hospital management said, “Our annual budget for the year 2020 is Rs17 billion, out of which Rs11 billion is to be met from public donations and Zakat, and the remaining from the revenue generated from hospital services. The total amount of Zakat collected will only be spent on the free treatment of deserving cancer patients.” The hospital management stated, “In view of the Covid-19 crisis which has affected us all, this year Shaukat Khanum Hospital will be fighting on two fronts, cancer and coronavirus. We have already taken unprecedented steps to do as much as we can to help in this moment of national crisis. These steps include setup of Coronavirus Triaging and Initial Assessment Centre, allocation of three of our four inpatient units for COVID-19 patients, establishment of a 35-bed intensive care unit fully equipped with ventilators for providing highly specialised care.”

The management said, “We have also taken steps to curtail most of our revenue-generating services, so as to be able to divert our resources to deal with patients most severely affected by coronavirus, and so we will be more reliant than ever on your generosity and support, through your donations and Zakat. These will ensure that we are not only able to continue with our mission of providing treatment facilities to needy cancer patients but also to take on the huge additional challenge of providing intensive care for patients suffering from coronavirus.”

The hospital has made it easy for everyone to donate Zakat and donations. Donors can deposit their Zakat, Sadqat and donations directly in SKMCH&RC, its regional offices, any bank in the country, diagnostic centres, collection centres, all Pakistan Post offices and easypaisa shops, UPaisa shop, UBL Omni Dukan or NADRA e-Sahulat nationwide. The donors can also donate online at www.shaukatkhanum.org.pk and call at 0800 11555 for the collection of their Zakat cheques directly from their doorstep. Moreover, SKMT has its functional offices in Dubai, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Norway and these offices are also receiving Zakat and donations over there.

The management of SKMCH&RC hoped that the people of Pakistan would donate generously and support this noble cause this year as well.