The groundbreaking ceremony for Pakistan’s first public-sector cancer hospital took place at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Sunday. The hospital, estimated to cost Rs10.8 billion, is expected to be completed by June 2025.
It will consist of a four-story building with a 49,000 square feet basement. The facility will house various departments, including an out-patient department (OPD), emergency department, male and female wards, gyne ward, blood cancer ward, and more.
Project Director Dr. Ayesha Isani, who holds a PhD in Public Health, stated that the project’s total cost exceeds Rs10.8 billion, with Rs3.4 billion allocated for the structure and Rs7.4 billion for equipment procurement. The hospital will be constructed near the burn center, becoming the first public-sector cancer hospital in Pakistan.
The project received approval from the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in February of this year, and construction has already commenced. Dr. Isani also mentioned that provisions for future expansion will be included in the hospital’s foundation.
The comprehensive cancer treatment facilities will encompass radiology, pathology, oncosurgery, medical oncology, ICU, emergency care for cancer patients, genetics, and research. The project was initially approved in February 2018, with subsequent approvals from the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division, and funding allocations in the 2022-23 financial year.
The CDWP recently approved the revised project with a budget of Rs3.406 billion.During the foundation stone laying ceremony, Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel expressed that cancer treatment is costly in Pakistan and highlighted the politicization of the project.
He discussed efforts to restore the status of Pims and implement health reforms after the hospital was privatized by the PTI government, leading to strikes by Pims employees. Overall, the establishment of the public-sector cancer hospital at