KARACHI, Jan 7: The Child Aid Association, which has set up an oncology unit at the National Institute of Child Health at a cost of Rs15 million, is now planning to open a diagnostic genetic lab at the institute.

The Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA), which represents Pakistani doctors residing in the US and Canada, has pledged to donate $50,000 for this project.

An additional $50,000 (about Rs2.8 million) is proposed to be raised inside the country for which the Child Aid Association has launched a fund-raising initiative. The child aid body has sent appeals to almost all the well-known corporate entities of the country in this regard.

Prof Nizamul Hasan, president of the Child Aid Association, told Dawn on Friday that corporations and other business entities had traditionally been very supportive of the programmes launched by his NGO, which was established in 1979.

The NICH has decided to hand over some space atop one of its buildings for the project, he said. At the proposed facility tissues taken from a child would be analysed to determine if the disease he or she suffered from was genetic in nature or not.

He said his NGO was unique in that it had been instrumental in introducing a new discipline, that of paediatric oncology, at a government-run hospital. Prof Hasan said his NGO was perhaps the only one in the city that was responsible for paying salaries to the staff of a unit, which had been set up due to its endeavours.

"Under almost every other partnership between private and public entities, salaries are paid to the staff by the government. At the proposed facility, he said, research projects would be undertaken which would benefit not just the NICH but other institutions as well. "This is why we are approaching the Higher Education Commission too."

Prof Hasan was of the opinion that the recurring expenditure of the lab would be at least Rs2 million per annum. "This must be kept in mind during the fundraising drive." He said one laboratory professional would be sent to the US for necessary training in clinical cytogenetics.

Answering a question, he said the high-tech laboratory was needed in view of the high number of cancers among Pakistani children. "The number of leukaemia cases are especially very high for which a cytogenetic lab is badly required."

He said physical deformities would also be looked into at the facility. "So, the lab will in fact be of tremendous utility even though it may look like a luxury." Prof Hasan was of the view that every child, regardless of his or her family's social status, should be entitled to state-of-the-art treatment and diagnostic procedures.

At the association's oncology unit, 150 children suffering from various cancers are treated every month. "Even though we provide care to 150 children every month at this unit, we feel that it should be expanded.

Asked which of the cancers occur more widely than others, Prof Hasan said in more than 50 per cent of the cases, leukaemia is diagnosed. "Eye cancers are common in Sindh as well. The reason for this could be hereditary in nature."