After a long and agonising struggle, Imran Khan’s mother, Shaukat Khanum, died of colon cancer. She was 63 years old. Imran vowed to build a cancer hospital in her honour where the poorest in Pakistan could receive the best cancer treatment free of charge.

Indian actress Rekha arranged to raise funds for Imran Khan’s cancer hospital project on the Rekha Show.

Dr Nausherwan Khan Burki completed the plans for Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore. Dr Burki later became the first CEO of the hospital when it was completed.

The foundation stone for Shaukat Khanum Hospital was laid in Lahore and building work commenced.

Pakistan won the 1992 Cricket World Cup under the captainship of Imran Khan. This gave Imran’s cancer hospital project the momentum he needed to boost fundraising.

Gaining the support of international celebrities, Imran Khan organised fundraisers in Pakistan and London, and charity cricket matches. They were attended by stars like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Mary Helvin and Trudi Steiner.

Imran Khan launched a mass fundraising campaign, touring 30 cities across Pakistan to raise the remaining funds needed to complete the construction of the hospital.

On December 19, 1994, Sumera Yusuf, our first cancer patient, inaugurated Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore with Imran Khan.

The first Shaukat Khanum laboratory collection centre was established in Lahore. Today, we have over 90 laboratory collection centres in 40 cities across Pakistan.

Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales visited Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore. This was the first of two visits Princess Diana would make to the hospital in her lifetime.

Our Departments of Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology were both recognised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) for postgraduate training.

Unfortunately, that same year a bomb explosion in our Outpatient Department killed 6 and injured 34 people.

Our Department of Nuclear Medicine was recognised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) for postgraduate training. The CPSP would go on to recognise our Department of Medical Pathology and Internal Medicine in 2001

The Shaukat Khanum Hospital Endowment Fund was inaugurated by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. President Musharraf said the hospital was the biggest humanitarian and welfare institution and the ‘resolve of an individual and needed to be emulated by everyone.’

The World Health Organisation (WHO) awarded Shaukat Khanum Hospital the U.A.E. Health Award for outstanding contribution to healthcare development at the 57th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Aamir Khan visited Shaukat Khanum Hospital and supported Imran Khan at a special fundraising dinner and telethon in Lahore.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital was granted Associate Membership of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR).

Elizabeth Hurley visited Shaukat Khanum Hospital and attended a special fundraising dinner in Lahore.

We inaugurated our first Walk-in Clinic in Peshawar, for the screening of patients with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of cancer. This clinic was a great help for people in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region who had to travel a long way to get to the hospital in Lahore.

We inaugurated our first Walk-in Clinic in Karachi, for the screening of patients with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of cancer.

ISO-9001-2000 Certification was awarded to Shaukat Khanum Hospital cancer diagnostic and therapeutic services.

We constructed a new Intensive Care Unit at Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lahore.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lahore became the first hospital in Pakistan to be accredited by the American Association of Continuing Medical Education (AACME) as a continuing medical education provider for healthcare professionals.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital installed Pakistan’s first PET-CT scanning system and cyclotron at a cost of almost $5 million. This machine is essential for early diagnosis, accurate staging, precise treatment, and monitoring of many cancers.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital inaugurated its first Diagnostic Centre and Clinic in Karachi. This was our first step towards bringing cancer diagnosis and treatment to the Singh region and adjacent areas.

In 2001, we held the ground-breaking ceremony for Shaukat Khanum Hospital Peshawar, after which construction for Pakistan’s second cancer hospital commenced.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lahore opened an imaging unit dedicated to female patients. The unit was equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic services for breast cancer and a one-stop Breast Clinic.

To meet the growing demand, three new operation theatres were constructed at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, bringing our total number up to seven.

Pakistan’s second cancer hospital was inaugurated in Peshawar on December 29th 2015. It started admitting patients and providing chemotherapy services from the outset to needy people in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, even though many of its units and wings were still under construction.

In 2016, we held the ground-breaking ceremony for Shaukat Khanum Hospital Karachi, after which construction for Pakistan’s third cancer hospital commenced.

We launch construction on a new specialised endoscopy suite at Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lahore.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lahore became the first charity hospital in Pakistan to receive the gold standard in medical care from the Joint Commission International (JCI).

Shaukat Khanum Hospital became the first facility in Pakistan to offer 3D digital mammography for breast cancer screening.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Peshawar commenced Radiation Therapy services. In the same year, our Peshawar hospital also received the JCI accreditation award.

Prince William retraced the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana, as he and Kate Middleton visited Shaukat Khanum Hospital Lahore during their official Pakistan trip.

During the pandemic, Shaukat Khanum Hospital ensured the continuity of care for cancer patients while simultaneously tackling the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases. Designated as a testing hub, we provided 10,000 free tests daily. With three out of four of our inpatient units, and one ICU unit dedicated to COVID patients, our staff worked around the clock to provide emergency treatment to the people admitted into our care.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital got its first hospital information system (HOPe) fully developed and implemented in-house.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital completed an enterprise-wide survey and achieved the Joint Commission International (JCI) Enterprise Accreditation. This confirms all activities, from patient care to procurement, to waste disposal and facility safety, adhere to the same high standards and strict protocols across our network.

We’re racing to complete Shaukat Khanum Hospital Karachi by December 2023. Ahead of our Karachi Hospital launch this December, we’ve opened another Karachi Walk-in Clinic, on site, to start supporting cancer patients in need.