Appeal by Chairman

Dear Friends,

As-Salamu Aleikum.

Each year, our Founder and Chairman Board of Governors, Mr. Imran Khan sends his message through this space but due to his unavailability, I am writing to update you about the projects of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust. The chairman has conveyed his gratitude for your unstinting support towards fighting cancer in Pakistan and has tasked me with updating you about the projects of SKMT.

On the 29th of December 2023, the first campus of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) completed twenty-nine years of service. Over the years, we have strived to remain steadfast on the vision of our founder to provide quality cancer treatment, irrespective of a patient’s wealth or paying power. When Mr. Imran Khan decided to build Pakistan’s first dedicated cancer hospital, he was moved by his mother’s ordeal as well as by the plight of needy cancer patients for whom cancer diagnosis often meant a pain filled death. All the factors that moved him deeply became enshrined in the mission statement of the Shaukat Khanum Hospitals: quality treatment for all, pain management, public awareness, training of health care professionals, and research.

In Lahore, as the current infrastructure of the Hospital is already running at full capacity, we continue to invest in advanced technology and expansion, where possible, to be able to accept larger number of patients. In the past year, we replaced an old radiation therapy machine with a new multi-million dollar linear accelerator and opened a new 12-bed admission holding bay to improve patient flow.

As a step towards continuous quality improvement, in September, our hospital received certification by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program, which is associated with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). This recognition is a proud moment for SKMCH&RC and for Pakistan, demonstrating our commitment to providing quality treatment for all.

SKMCH&RC in Peshawar completed the eighth year of its operations in December 2023 and services at the Hospital continue to be scaled-up. In 2024, we plan to expand our surgical oncology services for breast cancer and we hope to open two new operating rooms. With the help of an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) system, we also plan to expand our diagnostic capabilities in pulmonology.

In Karachi, we have utilised Rs. 11 billion so far for completing the grey structure and have started finishing works for Pakistan’s third and largest Shaukat Khanum Hospital in DHA City. We still require around Rs. 19 billion to reach the final inauguration stage. High inflation, depreciation of rupee against the US dollar and import challenges mean we need your support now more than ever before to complete the project and to bring hope against cancer closer to the people of Sindh and southern Balochistan.

We understand that these are challenging economic times but this has never deterred Pakistanis from supporting those who are less fortunate. For the year 2024, we need Rs. 34.8 billion to manage two state-of-the-art cancer centres and to meet construction milestones for our hospital in Karachi. Running a network of cancer hospitals in a resource-limited setting is not an easy task but we have been doing it for the past three decades, providing quality cancer treatment free of charge to over 75 percent of all our patients, with your unwavering support. Remember, every little bit counts. Your generous donations and Zakat will help Shaukat Khanum Hospitals become someone’s final beacon of hope against cancer.

With warmest personal regards,

Faisal Sultan
CEO
SKMCH&RC