ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday commended the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for its significant contributions to the health sector, particularly in providing modern cancer treatment facilities, calling it “one of the greatest services to humanity.”
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Kashmir Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy (KINOR) in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the prime minister said the new facility would ease the suffering of patients who previously had to travel long distances to Islamabad and other major cities for treatment. He termed serving patients at their doorstep a noble cause, especially for those battling life-threatening diseases.
Recalling his own experience as a cancer survivor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the high cost of cancer treatment and urged healthcare institutions to remain mindful of the pain and financial hardship faced by patients from remote areas. He praised PAEC and allied departments for their dedication and stressed the need to further strengthen efforts in prevention, early diagnosis, and compassionate care to give hope and relief to cancer patients.
AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, along with ministers, parliamentarians and health experts, attended the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, PAEC Chairman Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar said PAEC-supported cancer hospitals currently bear nearly 80 percent of the country’s cancer treatment burden. He noted that KINOR Muzaffarabad would be the 21st cancer care facility under PAEC, equipped with modern technology and expert oncology services to provide quality treatment closer to patients’ homes.
Dr. Anwar added that nearly 60 percent of cancer patients present at advanced stages, underscoring the urgent need for awareness, screening and early diagnosis. He revealed that around 1,000 new cancer patients from AJK travel annually to PAEC hospitals in other provinces, facing both financial strain and long journeys.
A video message from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi was also screened, in which he congratulated the Government of Pakistan on expanding cancer treatment infrastructure and praised PAEC’s role in serving humanity through state-of-the-art medical facilities.
Earlier, the prime minister toured various departments of the hospital and was briefed on the available diagnostic and treatment services.
