Peshawar Hospital Update

The construction of second Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital is in full swing. Two basements, a ground floor and first floor have been completed since the stone laying ceremony in March 2013. There has been a dire need of a cancer hospital in Khaibarpukhtunkha (KP) region as 25% of the total patients at SKMCH&RC come from KP.

A step forward in this regard is that the Peshawar Walk-in Clinic of SKMCH&RC has been constructed recently and shifted to its newly built building located at the same site of Peshawar Hospital on March 24, 2014. This marked the launch of the first service to be operational at Peshawar Hospital. It is also worth mentioning that an increasingly large number of people have been availing this free facility since its operations started at the new site. It may be recalled that the Peshawar walk-in clinic was established in 2006 in a rented facility keeping in view the high number of cancer patients from KP.

Peshawar Hospital’s main building (Phase One) will have seven levels consisting of two basements, ground floor and five floors. This building will have approximately 50,000 sq. feet covered area, offering state-of-the art technology and facilities to treat cancer patients, irrespective of their ability to pay. It will also help raise healthcare standards and provide training and employment opportunities in the wider region. With over 100 beds in its inpatient rooms and seven beds in Intensive Care Unit, the Hospital is designed as a specialised cancer care entre.

The estimated total cost of the project is $20 million. In order to raise the funds required to accomplish a project of this magnitude, Imran Khan Cancer Appeal relies heavily on donations from a wider community.