A Global Virtual Fundraiser was held over the past weekend at Bani Gala to support the construction of Pakistan’s third and largest Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) in Karachi. The event was attended by a number of celebrities and the Founder of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, Mr. Imran Khan was present as the special guest on this occasion. Thousands of Pakistanis from across the world participated in the event which was streamed live on the official social media platforms of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust and was also aired live from Bani Gala on ARY Digital. In a phenomenal display of compassion and generosity, the trust of the public converged in a record fundraising amount of Rs. 65 crore. Pakistanis residing in overseas, especially in the USA, UK, Middle East, Canada, Europe and Australia showed their solidarity by pledging generous support for SKMCH&RC, Karachi. On this occusion, Imran Khan said that the generosity of the people of Pakistan has never let him down and he has full confidence that just like Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospitals in Lahore and Peshawar, the third one in Karachi will also receive overwhelming support from the people of Pakistan.
The programme was hosted by Fakhar e Alam and attended by famous singers Atif Aslam and Shehzad Roy, film actress Mahira Khan and former cricketer Rameez Raja also appealed to their fans to contribute towards the noble mission of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT).
He explained that this new hospital will not only serve cancer patients in Sindh but it will also bring cancer care closer to patients of Southern Baluchistan.
The Chief Executive Officer of SKMT, Dr Muhammed Aasim Yusuf shared project details with the public and said that the new hospital in Karachi located at one million square feet of constructed area, will be twice the size of the SKMCH&RC in Lahore. Construction work is underway at full pace and the project is expected to be commissioned in less than three years, at a total cost of Rs. 13 billion. It will open as a fully-functional cancer hospital, with all clinical disciplines in place, and equipped with the latest technology, including state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities as well as the latest in treatment planning and delivery systems. He explained that this new hospital will not only serve cancer patients in Sindh but it will also bring cancer care closer to patients of Southern Balochistan.
