KARACHI, Dec 6: To improve the existing facilities for cancer patients at the Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre, the Cancer Society has taken the initiative to build a fully-equipped building unit, situated next to the Radiology Department.

Ground-breaking ceremony for the three-storied cancer wing will be held on Friday morning at the existing cancer ward. Director JPMC, Prof Shakoor Kazi, will be the chief guest.

Giving details of the project, renowned oncologist Prof S Manzoor Zaidi, who is also the treasurer of the Cancer Society, said that in the first phase, only the ground floor would be completed to house the existing 40 beds for the patients.

The cancer ward at its new premises is expected to start functioning by the middle of the year 2003.

In the proposed expansion plan, he added, capacity for in-patients would be gradually increased to 100 beds. He also spoke about the Society plans for providing increased ‘day-care chemo-bay’ facilities with the intention of reducing unnecessary hospitalization.

Prof Zaidi said the Cancer Society is a body comprising medical and non-medical professionals which aims to help cancer patients by providing them medical and emotional support.

The society also organizes frequent programmes and events to build public awareness about cancer and to highlight the hazards of tobacco use. The society also organises fund-raising programmes to support its ongoing activities.

Since the past several years, the Cancer Society has been providing medicines and chemotherapy drugs worth more than Rs4 million for poor cancer patients at JPMC, he added. The Society was established in 1968 by Mr Abdul Qadri, the then governor of the State Bank of Pakistan.

The existing 40-bed cancer ward at JPMC is situated quite a distance from the Radiology Department, which causes a great deal of problem for patients undergoing radiotherapy.

An ambulance with a driver is also provided by the Cancer Society for daily transportation of cancer patients to the Radiology Department and then back. Moreover the building despite constant efforts by members of the Behbood Foundation and ECHO towards its maintenance requires a complete overhaul.

President of the Society, Dr Siraj-ud-Daula, also called for a greater philanthropic participation for the project.

The two doctors also called for a greater awareness to fight cancer and stressed that a more vigorous fight against tobacco and its product was needed.

According to them, of all types of cancer combined, more than 50 per cent are caused by tobacco use. They said that according to WHO estimates out of every 100,000 persons in developing countries, 28 new cases of cancer would emerge every year.