Dr Usman, Pakistan

After completing my training in the UK and gaining experience abroad, I moved to Pakistan and joined Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, in 2017 as a Consultant Haematologist. 

It was in early 2,000 when I saw the board of Shaukat Khanum Hospital and went inside. I was extremely impressed with the work being done there and decided that one day, I’ll work at this hospital. Treatment of blood cancer is very expensive and providing standardised care requires a well-equipped facility. Working in Pakistan where majority of the people cannot afford even basic treatment, there is a sense of helplessness as a physician when you see patients struggling and I wanted to choose a place where I could utilise my skills in the best manner possible, at a facility that could provide multi-disciplinary care, to the people most in need. Shaukat Khanum Hospital perfectly fit this description. During my time here, I have experienced many memorable moments. The most recent one is about a 21-year-old girl suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) who was studying microbiology. During treatment, there was a challenging phase where we reached a point that she needed bone marrow transplantation. After a discussion in the multi-disciplinary team and after taking the patient’s input, we went ahead with the procedure—and it was successful. Recently, in October 2024, I met her at our annual cancer symposium where she presented a poster and I felt a rush of hope and pride at seeing her doing well. We are grateful to all our supporters who make treatment of many patients like this one possible.