Daily Times

KARACHI: Five state-of-the-art mobile breast cancer screening units donated by Scotland are getting affected with rust lying under an open sky in outskirts of the city as the Sindh government is unable to make them functional, Daily Times learnt on Tuesday.

Every year 40,000 women, one in every nine women, die in Pakistan due to breast cancer and the country has the highest rate of breast cancer patients in the Asia. However, this is the only cancer if diagnosed early, the survival rate increases to more than 90 percent. But again if anyone is diagnosed, there are very few treatment facilities in Pakistan.

In 2016, Scotland’s publicly funded healthcare system, through a Pakistani doctor based in the UK, Dr Amjad Gulzar Shaikh, donated 10 mobile screening units to treat breast cancer patients.

These units were brought to Karachi and last year five were given to different NGOs, while the five units are lying under open sky.

These 10 units worth around Rs2 billion have modern equipment through which cancer can be detected, minor surgeries could be conducted and also these units can help in vaccinations of the patients in early stage of the cancer.

The Sindh Health Department, setting aside Chief Minister’s directives, has shown no interest for taking the ownership for the five state-of-the-art mobile Breast Screening Units (BSUs).

These units are lying under open sky behind Baqai Medical University on Super Highway.

Interestingly, the Sindh government in January advertised for purchasing of Breast Screening Units (BSUs) for which it allocated Rs50 million, while the department has not bothered to make these units functional.

Dr Amjad Gulzar Shaikh, through whom these units were sent to Karachi, is seeking the Sindh government’s help to make them functional.

For the remaining five units talks had been held with the Chief Minster Sindh, but despite his clear instructions nothing has happened till now.

One wonders why there was a need of purchasing new breast screening units when somebody is offering you such units for free to the government, he added.

According to Dr Shaikh, induction of these units would be a great addition in health system.

These multipurpose BSUs are equipped with Mammogram and other necessary accessories for early detection of breast cancer in young female population in both urban and rural areas. A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. It can be used to check for breast cancer in women who have no signs or symptoms of the disease.

These would be of enormous value for those who are diagnosed at early stage and are averted fatalities due to advancement in disease and save huge financial loss.

All government is needed is to take these units in its custody and hire some staff including surgeons, technicians, nurses and drivers which is not a big deal for government,” Dr Gulzar stated.