The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) organised a fundraising Iftar dinner in the city on Saturday as part of its ongoing Zakat campaign. Dr Faisal Sultan, Dr Aasim Yusuf, other members of SKMT management and a large number of donors and supporters attended the event where Rs200 million were collected, says a press release. On this occasion, Dr Faisal Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of SKMCH&RC, gave an overview of the ongoing projects of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, “Over the past twenty-eight years, the support of generous donors has meant that we have been able to treat more patients than the year before. He said showing compassion to strangers, all the patients our donors may never meet but whose lives they save, reflects one of the best attributes of humans. Last year, we were able to provide financially supported treatment worth Rs. 11 billion to deserving cancer patients. At SKMCH&RC, we have always taken all possible steps to ensure that the utilisation of Zakat complies with Islamic injunctions regarding utilisation for Zakat-eligible patients. Zakat funds are used for the medical treatment of deserving patients, and are completely exhausted on providing direct patient care within the same year they are collected. SKMCH&RC has also received Shariah compliance certification confirming that its Zakat processes are in line with Islamic principles.” In a video message, Imran Khan, Founder and Chairman BoG of SKMT said that cancer treatment is very expensive and the majority of our people cannot afford it. For more than 28 years, SKMCH&RC has been collecting Zakat and providing financially supported treatment to over 75% of all patients. He said that for a population of over 220 million, we need more cancer hospitals and for this reason, the second SKMCH&RC was constructed in Peshawar in 2015 and the third and largest SKMCH&RC is expected to open in Karachi in 2023. He added, “As a nation, we united in the cause of trying to eradicate the scourge of cancer from our country, and we made equitable access to quality cancer care a reality in Pakistan. For the year 2023, we have a budget of Rs. 39 billon and as in past years, we hope to collect a major portion of this through your Zakat and donations. Ramzan is the month of giving and in this month, I would like to urge everyone to open their hearts and donate generously to support our mission of providing equitable access to quality healthcare to thousands of cancer patients from around the country and beyond.”