Pakistan, Oct. 8 -- Dr Aasim Yusuf, Chief Medical Officer of Shaukat Khanum Hospitals, briefed the media today at the Karachi hospital site on the national cancer burden, the organisation's model of care, and progress toward opening.

Pakistan faces an estimated 190,000 new cancer cases and 119,000 deaths every year. Shaukat Khanum's response is a one-roof model in which diagnostic, treatment, and support services are centralised, guided by quality and equality for all. Every patient is treated regardless of nationality, religion, or socioeconomic status. A one-time interview confirms eligibility for support; more than 75 percent receive treatment free of charge.

Since 1994, when it opened as Pakistan's first dedicated cancer hospital, t...