Pakistan was unable to meet its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health and ranks 149 in 188 countries in the first global assessment of countries according to the report by Gallup Pakistan short roundup of health infrastructure in Pakistan 2000-2015 based on Pakistan Economic Survey 2015-2016.
Pakistan’s most ignored chunks of healthcare are the provision of medical facilities for cancer patients in last few years. Around 20% of cancers developed from infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human papillomavirus infection in Pakistan. Currently, Pakistan has a fewer number of full-fledged cancer hospitals.
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission or PAEC operates 18 cancer hospitals to improve Pakistan’s health sector. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) is the second-best hospital. SKMCH has set up itself as the leading hospital for cancer care in Pakistan in 23 years. An important aspect of SKMCH&RC is that it treats 75% of its patients for free every year.
SKMCH&RC has also established several centers across Pakistan to create awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer in Pakistan in addition to Outreach Cancer Screening Walk-in-Clinics in Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, and Multan apart from Diagnostic Centers in Lahore and Karachi.