The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust has opened a new Walk-in Clinic in Karachi, which is its second cancer screening centre in the city. This Walk-in Clinic is located in DHA City at Pakistan’s third and largest specialist cancer hospital, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, and serves as the first point of contact for patients with suspected or confirmed cancer diagnosis for further evaluation and treatment. The hospital, expected to open in December this year, will mark a new age in cancer diagnosis and treatment, not only for the people of Pakistan’s largest city and economic powerhouse, Karachi, but also for people from all over Sindh and from Southern Baluchistan.
The newly functional Walk-in Clinic will especially benefit cancer patients from interior Sindh, providing access to cancer screening facilities closer to their homes. Similar to the other Walk-in Clinics in Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi, patients will be seen on first come first served basis and evaluated according to medical guidelines. Patients accepted for treatment will undergo world-class treatment, irrespective of their ability to pay, at Shaukat Khanum facilities in Karachi and elsewhere in the country. It is estimated that there are nearly 200,000 new cancer cases in Pakistan each year and more dedicated cancer facilities are needed to cater to the disease burden in the region. The treatment of cancer can be prolonged and it is extremely difficult for the majority of our population to undertake long and costly trips to access life-saving treatment. The burden of cancer is multi-faceted and includes financial, physical, and psychological aspects. Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Karachi will help us ease the burden of cancer for the people of Southern Pakistan by providing access to comprehensive cancer care, all under one roof.
There is a long tradition of philanthropy in Karachi, which means that Karachi can build a dedicated cancer hospital and can run it, too. As the project nears completion, people can donate generously and play their role in giving a gift of hope for the cancer patients of Southern Pakistan because where you live, should not determine if you live.
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