PESHAWAR: The Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in Abbottabad has started free cancer treatment for patients from Hazara division, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). It is the second medical teaching institution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to offer this service after the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) in Peshawar.
The free cancer treatment programme at HMC began in 2013, initially for blood cancer patients. In 2016, it was expanded to cover all types of cancers.
Chairman of the ATH Board of Governors, Prof Abid Jameel, said the new cancer ward and pharmacy at the hospital will provide diagnostic services and treatment free of cost.
“Patients will be treated regardless of their financial status. Along with treatment, we will also hold awareness sessions to help people seek medical care early, when chances of recovery are higher,” he said.
The new 30-bed cancer ward will admit patients, conduct tests, and provide medicines. The provincial government will spend Rs250 million annually on treating around 600 patients. This budget may be increased in the future.
ATH currently has two oncologists and all necessary facilities for cancer care. Prof Abid said the initiative would benefit people from Hazara, AJK, and GB who previously had to travel to Peshawar for treatment.
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Prof Abid, who set up the oncology department at HMC and launched the free treatment programme there, said over 10,000 patients have been treated in Peshawar so far, costing the government about Rs10 billion.
He said cancer treatment is expensive and even wealthy patients struggle to afford it. At HMC, the cure rate for blood cancer is 85 per cent, while the rate for all cancers is around 70 per cent, matching international standards.
However, most patients come to hospitals at stage three, when the chances of cure are low. “We still treat stage four patients to prolong their lives by one to two years. In many cases, patients need lifelong treatment,” he said.
Earlier, patients from remote areas had to visit Peshawar every month for follow-ups and medicines. “Now, they can come to Abbottabad instead,” Prof Abid added, praising the government for the step.
Oncologists said around 20 per cent of blood cancer patients treated at HMC are children, with treatment costs ranging from Rs500,000 to over Rs1 million.
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