Cricketer and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan founded Shaukat Khanum Hospital. After the death of his mother, he was inspired to build a cancer hospital for the poor and needy. During his mother’s illness, he realized the need for a special center in Pakistan to treat the poor and needy who had no money. Dr. Naushirwan K Barki supervised the master plan, and Mrs. Nair Ali Dada handled the construction details.
Inauguration and Notable Visitors
The hospital’s land was government property, and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved its use. On 29 December 1994, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended the inauguration ceremony. In 1992, Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel, Vinod Khanna, Elizabeth Hurley, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan came for the Appeal Concert of Shaukat Khanum. In the 1990s, Diana, Princess of Whales, visited Shaukat Khanum alongside her friend Jemima Khan and her two sons.
Expansion and Presence across Pakistan
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital Trust is present all over Pakistan as Hospital Clinics, Cancer Screening Centers ETC. It has built a series of hospitals in different cities where it brings cancer care closer to patients. The first hospital was in Lahore, and the second was built in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to provide care and support to patients. It offers an intensive care unit (ICU), a full-service pharmacy, 24-hour emergency services, an outpatient clinic, and more. A full range of pathology and radiology services are provided in Peshawar, and the radiology department has also started services for the people. Peshawar was built according to the latest international healthcare standards and had more extensive coverage than Lahore.
Focus on Research and Development
Research is needed to develop better ways to detect and treat diseases and to improve cancer care. Expanding knowledge of cancer genetics in the coming years will have a major impact on predicting, detecting, and diagnosing cancer early and selecting treatments that are likely to be more effective. Through research, the research team has managed the logistics of a large hospital and documented a wealth of patient information.
Management and Governance
It was a non-profit statutory body established under the laws of Pakistan and managed by a professional team from medical, nursing, and administrative backgrounds. The board oversees the clinical program, resource regeneration, finances, and more.
Future Plans and Branch Expansion
The research section has been developed over the past few years, and donations have been received to convert the hospital’s third floor into a research wing with a suite of research laboratories, an epidemiology terminology division, and a clinical research session responsible for clinical trials. A new Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital branch is planned for Karachi and is expected to be completed by 2023.
