Islamabad to get first state-of-the-art cancer hospital by June 2025

ISLAMABAD-Islamabad is likely to get the first state-of-the-art cancer hospital by June 2025 in the PIMS. However, the original PC-I cost of the project, Rs 1,998 million, has escalated by over 70 percent, to Rs 3,406 million, in the revised PC-I over the years, it has been learnt.  

Ministry of Planning, Development Special Initiatives has submitted the working paper to the Central Development Working Party. Previously, the decision to establish the hospital was taken in a meeting chaired by then Prime Minister Imran Khan on health reforms that were being taken in Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on December 13, 2018.

The project cost, according to the original PC-I was Rs 1,998 million which escalated to Rs 3,406 million as per the revised PC-I suggesting a raise of more than 70 percent in the original cost. The sources said that the PC-I was received in PDSI on January 24, 2023 and the project is proposed to be financed through the PSDP. The project will be completed in two and a half years from February 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025 (2 years and 5 months).

According to the official documents, the hospital will diagnose cancer at an early stage and treat different types of cancers. It would be a full-fledged cancer hospital to treat poor cancer patients free of cost. According to the estimates, as many as 7,000 patients per year would be treated in phase-I expected to be increased to 16,000 in the next 5-10 years. Cancer is one of the leading non-communicable diseases causing mortality and morbidity.

PIMS oncology department is the only government-owned cancer treatment facility in the city at present. The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that more than 178,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed every year in Pakistan, and there are more than 117 percent (2,008,000) cancer deaths annually. Less than 250 individuals have qualified in the country as trained medical or radiation oncologists. 

Around 10,000 patients per year are being treated in Islamabad, AJK, GB and FATA visiting various hospitals both in public and private hospitals. Currently, PAEC-NORI Hospital (semi-private), CMH, Rawalpindi, and Shifa Int. Hospital are providing cancer treatment to patients of Islamabad and adjoining areas, suggests the brief description of the project.

This proposed project envisages establishment of a 200-bed state-of-the-art hospital for indoor admission of various types of cancer patients. The division of the beds are as follows: 75 beds for adult oncology, 25 beds for paeds, 25 beds for women oncology, 25 beds for ICU, 30 beds for private and 20 beds for emergency.

Type of cancer treatment services includes 50 chemotherapy chairs, various specialized OPD clinics, and surgical cancer interventions. Diagnostics services will consist of radiology department, CT scan, PET-CT, MRI, angiographic machine, and image guide biopsies facilities for various cancers. After completion, this facility plans to become a leading institute for cancer research raising awareness and developing cancer prevention and treatment guidelines. About 7,000 cancer patients annually will be treated at this facility which is expected to rise to 16,000 in 5-10 years time.

The project is planned to be executed in two phases. Scope of work for the Phase-I is civil works and electrical works. Phase-II will include procurement of medical equipment, hospital furniture, ambulances, office furniture, and an incinerator. The building component includes erecting a basement plus three buildings (39083 sqft) with a patient ramp (14872 sqft) and Mumty.

The original PC-1 for the subject scheme was administratively approved by CDWP in its meeting held on 12 February 2018 with an amount of Rs. 1,998.00 million. Accordingly, funds amounting to Rs. 265.00 million were allocated during the financial year 2018-19 but later on, the project was surrendered in PSDP 2018-19. Now, the subject scheme has been funded during the current financial year 2022-23 with an allocation of Rs. 250 million.

It will be a first of its kind cancer hospital in the public sector. Furthermore, the cancer hospital would be a public sector teaching hospital under Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations Coordination Division with the purview of free treatment for the poor and needy, government servants, politician, judges and media personal, etc. whereas NOORI is under Atomic Energy Commission and governed by the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) and does not come under the preview and mandate of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations Coordination Division.

The project, approved in 2018 by the CDWP, is under revision so feasibility at this stage for an approved project is not required. The hospital blocks will be built on land of PIMS as it is the property of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations Coordination Division. It may be reasserted that NOORI was actually built on borrowed PIMS land and has only a radiotherapy mandate. NOORI is not a public sector entity and does not have holistic patient care, academic or research components.

Article source: https://www.nation.com.pk/30-Jan-2023/islamabad-to-get-first-state-of-the-art-cancer-hospital-by-june-2025