[Karachi, May 19, 2021]: As a tribute to the late Ali Suleman Habib, Founding Chairman of Indus Motor Company (IMC), the Company has pledged support to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (SKMCH), through a Rupees 60 Million donation towards the hospital’s under construction facility at Karachi.
Indus Motor’s Vice Chairman, Shinji Yanagi and Chief Executive, Ali Asghar Jamali presented the cheque to Prime Minister, Imran Khan, at Islamabad.
Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Mr. Jamali said: “IMC’s association with the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital stretches back over two decades. Cancer treatment in Pakistan is very expensive and beyond reach of the common man. This is where the SKMCH steps in and provides the much needed support to the less privileged of our country and I congratulate its management for a commendable job. This pledge pays homage to our late Chairman, Ali Habib san and the legacy he’s left behind. It not only serves as sadqa e jaaria but also an aide-memoire of his compassion and kindness that he possessed.’
The SKMCH at Karachi is the third and most modern cancer facility being built on 20 acres of land at DHA City where over 75 percent cancer patients will receive free cancer care. Construction is expected to be completed over a period of three years at an estimated cost of Rs.13 billion with state-of-the-art diagnostic, radiation and treatment facilities under one roof, catering to patients in Karachi, Sindh and Baluchistan.
According to a WHO report, in 2020 there were over 178,000 new cancer cases and 177,000 plus cancer deaths documented in Pakistan. Over the next five years, the number of prevalent cases has been estimated to reach an alarming 329,524 cases, the most common cancers in both sexes related to breast, oral cavity, lung, digestive tract and leukaemia.- End
