30 years ago, cricket legend Imran Khan inspired a nation to transform cancer care in Pakistan. This year, as Shaukat Khanum Hospitals celebrate three decades of delivering world-class service, our founder is unable to make an appeal to mark this significant milestone. In his absence, we hope you will continue to support our patients with your Sadaqah Jariyah and move us a step closer to opening a new hospital in Karachi.
BUILD KARACHI HOSPITAL KARACHI HOSPITAL UPDATE
Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, discusses the challenges of taking care of cancer patients in developing countries.
30 Years Of Expanding Cancer Support
Most experts dismissed the idea of a free cancer hospital for the poor. However, thanks to the vision of our founder and determination of early donors, our first hospital opened its doors in Lahore on December 29, 1994. It made history in Pakistan: a comprehensive care facility dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, on par with the quality found in advanced economies.
Three decades later, Shaukat Khanum Hospitals continue to bring hope to millions. Thanks to your ongoing support, our hospitals offer free treatment to 75% of patients with limited means while advancing cancer research in Pakistan.
With the establishment of a second hospital in Peshawar in 2015, along with a network of Diagnostic Centres, Laboratory Collection Centres, Outreach Screening Clinics, and a new Walk-in Clinic in Karachi, your contributions have expanded access to care for patients in even the hardest-to-reach areas.
Free treatment does not mean lower standards or outdated equipment. Because of the donations you made last Ramadan, we have added new improvements and upgrades over the past year.
In 2024, in Lahore, our pathology laboratory achieved accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the world’s leading organisation for board-certified pathologists. This achievement was the result of over 20 years of collaboration with CAP, beginning with Proficiency Testing Surveys in 2002. The hospital is now accredited across all disciplines and sub-disciplines of laboratory medicine.
In 2024, in Peshawar, we carried out major enhancements, including installing the first 3-Tesla MRI scanner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and launching the only Endoscopic Bronchial Ultrasound Service available in the region. We also opened a ‘one-stop breast cancer clinic,’ allowing patients to receive a diagnosis on the same day, and we introduced new treatments for thyroid-related conditions. Additionally, we began offering Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and launched a new Surgical Oncology Fellowship programme approved by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP). Finally, we established a new Green Initiative focused on energy conservation and reducing carbon emissions.
In 2024, in Karachi, we delivered major equipment to the hospital site, including air handling units, cooling towers, chillers, fan coil units, transformers, and diesel generators. We completed roof insulation and waterproofing for the administration building. Progress was also made on flooring works for the Main Hospital Building and Building Management Systems.
BUILD KARACHI HOSPITAL KARACHI HOSPITAL UPDATE
30 Years Of Driving Progress And Impact
Shaukat Khanum Hospitals were the first in Pakistan to procure a PET CT scan in 2007. This imaging technique provides important information about the activity of cancer cells. Cancer patients had to go abroad to undergo this test in the past.
Our second hospital was inaugurated in Peshawar in December 2015. Like our hospital in Lahore, it houses all the specialised diagnostic and therapeutic facilities needed to treat cancer under a single roof.
Our centres were awarded the Gold Seal of Approval® for healthcare by the Joint Commission International (JCI) in 2018, 2021 and again in 2022. Today, Shaukat Khanum Hospitals is the second organisation in the world to achieve the JCI Enterprise Accreditation across its network – and the first in Pakistan!
BUILD KARACHI HOSPITAL KARACHI HOSPITAL UPDATE
Why Give Your Zakat To Imran Khan Cancer Appeal?
For 30 years, your Zakat donations during Ramadan have allowed 75% of our patients to benefit from free cancer care throughout the year while subsidising the treatment of many others. In this special anniversary year, help us continue the fight against cancer.
Read our Zakat Guide to discover who is eligible for Zakat, how a patient qualifies for Zakat, and about our commitment to Zakat transparency. Use our Zakat Calculator to work out your Zakat for this year. Pay what you owe securely online in your choice of currency.
Pay Zakat Calculate Zakat ZAKAT GUIDE
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR LIFE-SAVING WORK
The Zakat you give is used exclusively to provide direct patient care but there are many other ways you can support our work.
You can give Sadaqah towards the running of our hospitals and ancillary health services, including our Hospital Schooling Programme for child cancer patients, hospital staff wages, and purchasing and replacing medical equipment. You can even feed a patient by donating Sadaqah for every Iftar you have this month. Join us as we celebrate 30 years of service.
Give Sadaqah Give £50 FEED A PATIENT FOR 10 DAYS GIVE £150 FEED A PATIENT FOR 30 DAYS
Meet Our Team
Dr Aasim Yusuf is the Chief Medical Officer at Shaukat Khanum Hospitals and our longest serving staff member. Read his reflections on 30 years of leadership, challenges, and achievements in expanding cancer support across Pakistan.
Our Hospital Schooling Programme provides child cancer patients with the support they need to keep up with their education during treatment. Discover what inspired Consultant Physician Dr Haroon Hafeez to design and launch this groundbreaking initiative.
