Daily Times

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed his appreciation for the recognition given to Cyberknife, a Radiation Oncology service at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Karachi by the Royal College of Radiologists, United Kingdom.

He sees this award as a testament to the hard work and commitment of his government to the health sector as well as to the people of the province.

The Cyberknife- Radiation Oncology services at JPMC Karachi have been honoured by “The Royal College of Radiologists” in the United Kingdom. This recognition is a matter of great pride for the province of Sindh and Pakistan, as it signifies the acknowledgement of free cancer treatment facility provided through a public-private partnership between the Government of Sindh and the Patients Aid Foundation at JPMC Karachi by The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) UK.

The RCR was established in 1897 with the invention of X-ray radiation and the establishment of the Roentgen Society. It has the largest number of fellows worldwide, serving as Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists.

The Honorary Fellowship by the RCR is the most prestigious award given to a non-Fellow of the College. Only 78 individuals worldwide have been honoured with this award. On Friday, 28th June 2024, it was awarded to Prof. Dr Tariq Mahmood at Central Hall Westminster, London. The citation highlighted his work in the field of radiology and radiation oncology in Pakistan.

Dr. Tariq Mahmood, Professor Emeritus, Radiation Oncology, JPMC, is the first Pakistani and first Muslim Professor in the world to receive this most prestigious award. He is also a recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for public service, the Honorary rank of Surgeon Commander from the Chief of Naval Staff and holds an honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Edinburgh for his services in the field of Medicine.

Prof. Mahmood extended his gratitude to the Honourable Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Minister of Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho for the donation of a new top-of-the-line Cyberknife S7 unit and to the donors of Patients Aid Foundation for another Tomotherapy X9 unit.”

Since 2012, JPMC has been the only centre in the world to offer free treatment of cancer with Cyberknife and Tomotherapy, regardless of nationality, religion, or ethnicity. Up to now, patients from 15 countries and 167 cities in Pakistan have benefited from this free service. Globally, these expensive treatments cost millions of rupees.

The Radiation Oncology department at JPMC is equipped with two Cyberknife units, two Tomotherapy units, and Equinox 100, placing it among the top ten centres in the world for technology. These units provide highly precise treatments and can cure early-stage cancers of the prostate, brain, spine, lung, liver, head & neck, among others. Furthermore, the Radiation Oncology section has been offering free PET-CT scans since 2017. To meet the growing demand, the department has launched new isotopes for prostate, brain, and cardiac scans and plans to conduct over 4000 free PET-CT scans in the next fiscal year.