Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday said his objective was to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state on the model of Riyasat e Madina.

Speaking at the fund raiser for Shaukat Khanum hospital here, he said the best welfare states were the Scandinavian states which were now prosperous and peaceful because of the policies for the benefit of humanity.

He said cancer was a different disease due to two reasons; one was that patient of the cancer had fear of death and other was that the treatment of cancer was expensive.

He said cancer disease had a long treatment and the patient had to undergo regular check ups.

Imran Khan said more hospitals were needed in Pakistan to treat patients of cancer. “About 40 years back, I thought of establishing the cancer hospital and despite difficulties accomplished the task.” He said now if cancer was detected early, the disease could be treated. He appreciated Pakistani nation for coming together to build and run the Shaukat Khanum hospital.

He said Pakistani nation was ahead of other nations when it came to giving charity. It was mandatory for the Muslims to give Zakat and the practice gave an opportunity to help poor people, he noted.

He said Pakistani nation had given Rs 63 billion as charity for treatment of cancer patients in the Shaukat Khanum hospital. “We will fulfill our promise to the nation that 70 percent of the patients in the hospital will be treated freely.”

The Prime Minister said cancer of many patients was treatable but they could not be treated at the cancer hospital because of lack of space. He said his government introduced health insurance and now every family could avail health facility of Rs one million every year. Under the health insurance programme, the family members could get treatment from any hospital including private hospitals.