ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) intends to establish five more cancer hospitals in addition to the 13 hospitals already providing services to more than 350,000 patients annually.

This was stated by PAEC Chairman Parvez Butt at the inaugural ceremony of a five-day regional training course on ‘Radionuclide Treatment of Liver Cancer’ jointly organized by PAEC and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday.

Parvez Butt also proposed establishment of a national cancer centre for compiling data on various malignancies for analysis and strategy formulation for combating cancer in view of the growing incidence of cancer in the world.

He also pledged full technical support for this centre from the PAEC research and operational experience.

Appreciating IAEA’s role, Parvez Butt urged the agency to go beyond its safeguards and non-proliferation role and undertake activities to accelerate and enlarge contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world.

He announced setting up of a state-of-the-art cancer hospital at Muzaffarabad (AJK) which was at the advanced stages of implementation.

Our cancer care facilities are among the best in the world, thanks to IAEA’s support and our international liaison in the field of research and training on the subject, he added.

He said prevention and cure of hepatitis B and C, which ultimately led to the ailment of liver, was a top priority of the government.

Speaking on the occasion, Member (Biosciences), PAEC, Dr Kauser Abdulla Malik talked about the diverse nature of PAEC’s programme covering defence, research and development (R&D), human resource development, industrial support services, agriculture improvement research and cancer treatment.

Dr Malik said in view of the high rate of breast cancer cases among women, the PAEC had established breast cancer clinics in all of its 13 hospitals for screening, early diagnosis and treatment and was also undertaking a public awareness campaign at national level on the subject.

IAEA faculty member Dr A.K. Padhy introduced in detail the nuclear medicine programme of the IAEA which aimed at providing transfer of technology to the developing and least developed countries for cancer treatment.

There are as many as 400 research scientists from member states engaged in this research programme, he added.

He appreciated Pakistan’s courage in arranging the workshop despite a national earthquake tragedy.