Cancer Care Hospital Fundraiser Unites the Community in Sacramento
By Ras H. Siddiqui

If one is traveling by road heading south out of Lahore, Pakistan, on Raiwind Road passing Lake City, Chinar Bagh and just before Bahria Orchard, one can take the fork towards the west and southwest on the Rohi Nala Bypass to reach the Cancer Care Hospital & Research Centre (CCH-RC) facility.

The City of Lahore is expanding in every direction and that expansion along with Punjab’s growing population needs additional hospitals to keep up with rising demand. The Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore just cannot keep up with the number of patients needing treatment.

On 27 acres of land, and over 174,000 square feet (with some solar-powered buildings), the CCH-RC facility is already up and running with a Radiation Block, Palliative Care Block, Administration, Residential, and Mosque structures. Another building, the Oncology Block, is currently being built. The core values of this hospital include putting the patient first and nobody is refused due to advanced age, stage of the disease, or financial status. Most of the hundreds of cancer patients who visit CCH-RC daily receive some of the best cancer treatment possible in Pakistan. And for this to continue, financial resources through donations are required. 

It is against this backdrop that CCH-RC supporters hold events in various parts of the world to tap into the generosity of the Pakistani Diaspora to provide financial resources to aid in the expansion and continuation of free services for patients. And for this reason, an event was held on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the White Lotus Banquet Hall in Citrus Heights, California a short distance from the state capital of Sacramento.

Arranged and supported by the team of Mukhtar & Rabina Khan, Saeed Khan, Qumar Ashraf, Maqsood Ahmad, Azmi Gill, and Beela Sheikh plus their many friends, it turned out to be a great evening of generosity and Qawwali entertainment.  

Dinner was served first after which the evening started in the very capable hands of emcee Waqar Rizvi who welcomed everyone with a multifaith greeting representing the varied beliefs of the predominantly Punjabi audience. He said that we are all gathered here for a noble cause which is the fight against cancer. To start the formalities, Asad Khan was invited for a Qur’an recitation. And before going any further here, it would be remiss not to mention that it was refreshing to see Indian (mainly Punjabis) in large numbers at this fundraiser for a hospital in Pakistan. Special thanks to Charda Punjab Club for their generous donation. It reminded this writer of the good old days in the 1990s when this type of joint South Asian activity was much more common.

A brief keynote speech by CCH-RC Chairman/President Professor Dr Shaharyar followed. He thanked the organizers, especially Mukhtar and Rabina Khan for hosting the event and Ghazala Tariq who was very much present and busy here. He also elaborated on the free treatment provided by the center, enabling people to get medical help without selling their homes, land, or seeking loans. Assisted by a short video documentary, the good Doctor explained that cancer is treated in three ways: Surgery, Radiation, and Chemotherapy. He said that by the Grace of Allah, CCH-RC is now able to provide all three through its state-of-the-art facilities. Three extra services were also mentioned, namely palliative care, emergency room, and early detection (all focused on cancer).

Advanced cancer patients who are being refused elsewhere in Pakistan are being admitted to CCH-RC in palliative care to improve their quality of life and control their pain, said Dr Shaharyar. Even if the patients die, their family members know that they did not suffer as much as they would have without being treated here. Pakistan’s first cancer emergency room is also now functional thanks to generous contributions. He also spoke of breast cancer being on the rise in Pakistan and revealed that unfortunately, many women were coming to the hospital at an advanced stage of the disease. The best way to prevent this disturbing situation is through early detection which CCH-RC facilitates, especially through three mobile mammography units purchased in 2017, which travel to remote villages. The Doctor thanked everyone for their continued support, and for making this all possible. 

The fundraising continued on the sidelines as the program activities were going on. Two other speakers also shared their inspirational stories. The first, Dr Haroon Rahman, a local medical oncologist shared his own experience in treating cancer patients, and even before that when a close relative was impacted by Stage 4 Breast Cancer. He spoke from the viewpoint of someone who has been on both sides of the equation and urged everyone to support this cause. Next, Saeed Khan spoke about his visit to the hospital in Lahore and of a close relative with cancer who received treatment at the facility and who is now doing much better. He thanked friends here and the CCH-RC team in Lahore for making this possible. Saeed urged everyone present to support this effort in any way possible because the CCH-RC is doing wonderful work.

Two items were auctioned at the event to assist with the fundraiser. The first was a fine painting that included the name of Allah in Arabic by Mrs Anila Saleemi. The second was a Squash Racket signed by a legend of the sport Jahangir Khan. Both items went out for bid and were sold for a good sum of money.

Last but not least, entertainment here was provided by Imran Aziz Mian who is carrying on the family tradition of Qawwali into the next generation. Many of us are familiar with the work of his late father Aziz Mian and it is great to note that his singing talent has been passed down to his son Imran, whose Qawwali performance here was quite memorable.

(Please visit  https://www.cch-rc.com/  for more information and ways to assist)