Child cancer care unit to be set up in Balochistan
Health Desk :
The Balochistan government has decided to establish a child cancer care unit in collaboration with the Indus Hospital Karachi (IHK) in Quetta. Pediatric Oncology Unit would be established at Sheikh Zayed Hospital Quetta.
“This will be free of cost facility for children suffering from cancer”, Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan said. The CM took to social media network Twitter and announced the establishment of the Oncology unit in Quetta.
Balochistan shares 15 % burden of overall patients at IHK
Data of 2019 showing a huge influx of patients taking advantage of Medical services at Indus Hospital, Karachi. At present Baluchistan shares around 15% burden of overall cancer patients coming from all provinces of Pakistan at the Pediatric Oncology Unit in Indus Hospital.
“We are trying hard to lessen sufferings of patients”, Noor ul Haq Baloch, the Secretary Health Balochistan said.
Most of the children diagnosed with childhood cancer are referred to Karachi. Long-distance from treatment centers and other socio-economic issues lead to a high rate of abandonment and poor survival.
Indus receives 1,000 new cases of cancer patients
The childhood cancer unit at Indus is one of the largest in Pakistan. We treat patients from all over Pakistan including Afghanistan and Iran. “We have seen more than 1000 new cases of cancer in last 12 months”, an official of the IHK said.
Karachi unit working over its capacity
The unit is working over its capacity and we are now reaching a point where we have to refuse patients for treatment of even curable cancer, he explained. The only way to avoid this painful and extremely agonizing decision is to establish more units and satellite centers in Baluchistan, the official concluded.
