PESHAWAR: Pakistan United Nations Refugees Agency (UNHCR) signed an agreement with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) in Peshawar on Wednesday to provide $6.2 million high-tech equipment to the Peshawar-based hospital.
The UNHCR representative Ruvendrini Menikdiwela and the hospital’s chief executive officer Dr. Faisal Sultan signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Notable officials, prominent members of the UNHCR and SKMCH were present at the ceremony.
The UN refugee agency will provide radiotherapy machines, software and training for the technicians to operate the equipment.
Radiotherapy uses high-energy radiation to break down cancer cells and treat tumors. The machines will be installed in the newly-built hospital rooms by mid-summer.
Dr. Sultan said that Peshawar’s cancer hospital is bigger than its namesake in Lahore. The Peshawar hospital receives patients from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP), as well as Islamabad, he said.
More than 70 percent of treatment at the cancer hospital is free, he told guests at the signing ceremony.
“On average, 60 Afghan patients are registered for treatment at the Shaukat Khanum hospital in Peshawar each month,” said Dr. Faisal.
The UNHCR Representative praised the hospital as a symbol of hope for thousands of cancer patients in Pakistan, including Afghan refugees.
“Treating those in real need and trying to save lives blighted by cancer is the noblest act of service to humanity,” said Ms. Menikdiwela.
“This equipment is being donated not just on behalf of the UNHCR, but on behalf of the international community as well,” she added.
Later, speaking to Arab News, Menikdiwela said equipment has been giving to the cancer hospital in recognition of the support that the people and government of Pakistan have been extending to the Afghan refugees.
When asked why the UN agency is donating the equipment when many Afghan families have left Pakistan, Menikdiwela told Arab News: “This is not just for Afghans but also for Pakistanis. Many Afghan refugees are still living in Pakistan, and those in Afghanistan can come on visas to Pakistan to get treatment here.”
According to the UN refugee agency, Pakistan currently has about 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees. Pakistani officials estimate that there are about 1.3 million Afghan refugees without documentation.
“The new cancer equipment will benefit more than 30,000 cancer patients every year and an estimated 1,500 new patients will be added every year,” the UNHCR said in a statement.
UNHCR donates $6.2m high-tech equipment to Peshawar cancer hospital
UNHCR donates $6.2m high-tech equipment to Peshawar cancer hospital
- In addition to Pakistani patients, Afghans refugees will benefit from the state-of-the-art treatment for cancer.
- Dr. Sultan said that Peshawar’s cancer hospital is bigger than its namesake in Lahore.
Pakistan engages Saudi Arabia, China in bid to ease surging Middle East tensions
- Pakistan’s foreign minister stresses need for de-escalation in conversations with Chinese, Saudi counterparts
- Tensions in the Middle East continue to remain high as conflict between US, Israel and Iran intensifies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and China on Tuesday, stressing the importance of diplomatic engagement to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as the Iran war intensifies.
Pakistan has constantly engaged regional countries in efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Middle East, after the US and Isreal launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran launched fresh attacks on Gulf countries on Tuesday morning, where it has targeted US military bases in recent weeks. In addition to firing missiles and drones at Israel and American bases in the region, Iran has also been targeting energy infrastructure which, combined with its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, has sent oil prices soaring worldwide.
Dar spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss developments in the Middle East and ongoing deliberations at the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
“DPM/FM shared Pakistan’s perspective, underscoring the importance of continued coordination and diplomatic engagement to support de-escalation and promote peace and stability across the region and beyond,” the statement said.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, spoke to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi over the telephone separately. The two discussed the evolving regional situation and broader global developments.
Dar underscored the need to ease tensions in the Middle East and the wider region during the conversation, the foreign office said.
Yi appreciated Pakistan’s constructive efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and stability in the region, it added.
“The two leaders stressed the importance of de-escalation and emphasized the need to pursue dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter,” the foreign office’s statement said.
The conflict in the Middle East has hit Pakistan hard as well, forcing Islamabad to hike petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per liter last Friday.
Pakistan’s government has also announced a set of austerity measures, which include closing schools and cutting down on government expenditures, as it evaluates petrol stocks and looks for alternative supply routes.
