Daily Times

History is replete with heroic acts of humans who devoted their lives to others; expecting nothing in return except acknowledgement and appreciation as a reward for their life-long struggle.

It is also a universally acknowledged fact that nations pay rich tributes to their heroes once their larger-than-life deeds are discovered by all and sundry.

However, a few unsung heroes serve their fellow beings neither for any worldly reward nor even for any appreciation. For them, it is nothing more than a labour of love.

The untiring services of these unsung heroes rarely make the headlines or flashes on television channels. They are born of humble origin; bred in modest circumstances and die a silent death. No drummers are present to receive them on entry nor any trumpeters to mark their exit.

They are made from the clay of a different predisposition, and their dough is devoid of a common human instinct of being renowned and recognised.

The only acknowledgement that these unsung heroes ever receive is reflected through the eyes of their patients and attendants. The ray of hope beaming in those grateful eyes is a trophy enough as a memorial for these marshals.

You might be wondering where to meet such heroes. Visit any cancer hospital in the country, and you are sure to find plenty. Deeply engrossed in the reports of their patients; diagnosing; prescribing and giving expert advice, you would hardly ever find these messiahs taking a break.

Those serving in different cancer hospitals are the unsung saviours of humanity and true ambassadors of hope

Their patients also deserve a word of appreciation for putting up a brave show in the long battle against one of the deadliest diseases in human history: cancer.

Besides some champions in the private sector that are mostly pursuing the noble cause of defeating cancer by dint of charity, the public sector is shouldering the major burden of cancer treatment in Pakistan.

Among others, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), one of the most respected organisations in Pakistan, is the torch-bearer in the fight against cancer for its unmatched contribution in making the defence of the country impregnable.

PAEC has, so far, established 18 cancer hospitals in all provinces and major cities of the country while the construction of the 19th hospital has recently commenced in Gilgit.

These hospitals provide diagnostic and therapeutic facilities to patients at subsidized rates. In these hospitals, hope is in the air. If you ever happen to lose hope for lack of funds, it is kindled by the generous support from either Patient Welfare Society (PWS) of the hospital or Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM).

The stage of cancer is also not an impediment to treatment at these hospitals. Unlike most cancer hospitals that prefer to send patients at advanced stages home, PAEC-run cancer hospitals have the slogan of “death with dignity.”

Here, patients are treated until they breathe their last. The brave oncologists at these hospitals consider it a sin to lose hope. And the results are miraculous, as portrayed by the high survival rate in these patients. These daring unsung heroes in the field of medicine and their brave survivors prove that faith, hope, as well as an appropriate and timely intervention can lead to successful treatment of the ailment as horrific as cancer.

Nuclear Medicine, Oncology & Radiotherapy Institute (NORI) Islamabad, is one of the 18 cancer hospitals being run under the aegis of PAEC. Its role in the health sector is commendable as over 800,000 cancer patients get diagnostic and treatment facilities at these hospitals each year.

If you happen to live in the capital, visit NORI hospital and do meet its Director Dr Mohammad Faheem and Oncology and Radiotherapy Head Dr Humera Mahmood. They represent scores of others like them, who are putting up a heroic fight against cancer on the behalf of the ailing humanity. They organise public awareness lectures regularly to stress that one-third of cancers can be prevented by quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They also stress the importance of early detection of cancer.

These two and others serving in different cancer hospitals of the country are the unsung saviours of humanity and true ambassadors of hope for the ailing community. They deserve a salute of recognition from the nation for their untiring efforts to fight out cancer from society. In this regard, services of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission also owe recognition as a responsible organisation serving cancer patients as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We must acknowledge the noble cause and expect the same from other organisations of national repute.

PAEC gives high priority to the application of nuclear technology in the health sector. Through its 18 medical centres spread over the country, patients receive state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment facilities, either free of charge or at subsidized rates.

PAEC Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (NM&O) Hospitals are also involved in the national cancer awareness and prevention program. They provide diagnostic studies and therapeutic applications. Apart from diagnostic imaging studies, radioimmunoassay has made it possible to manage, in a more scientific manner, patients with diseases affecting various other glands. Therapeutic services by Nuclear Medicine include treatment of thyrotoxicosis, thyroid cancer and palliation for bone pains.

Radiation and medical treatment are provided at all NM&O Hospitals to all types of cancer patients, irrespective of their stage of the disease. The contribution of PAEC, through its integrated program in radiotherapy of different kinds of cancer and allied diseases, has received considerable acclaim in the public.

Treatment planning, radiation-dose calculations, tumour marking and treatment field assessment are the core features of cancer treatment. These facilities are available at all PAEC cancer treatment centres.

Doctors and medical physicists from various hospitals receive training at these NM&O centres for FCPS, DMRT and MS programs. The volume of services contributed by these hospitals in the health sector can be gauged by the fact that these cancer hospitals, established in every nook and corner of Pakistan, are treating 80 per cent of the cancer patients in the country.

The writer is a former sub-editor of daily Dawn Islamabad and a PR practitioner