LAHORE: Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) Chief Executive Officer Dr Faisal Sultan has said the second branch in Peshawar is likely to be made fully functional by December.

Talking to the media here on Monday, he said construction at the site in Peshawar was in full swing and plans were under way to complete the first phase, including outpatient clinics, chemotherapy facilities and an inpatient unit, by December.

He also said the estimated cost of the first phase was over Rs4 billion.

`In the second and third phases, we expect to add radiation and surgical services, increase the total number of inpatient beds and add a full intensive care unit,` Dr Sultan said.He said a large number of patients were coming to the SKMCH from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Construction of the second state-of-the-art cancer hospital had been planned in Peshawar to provide treatment to patients at their doorstep, he added.

The CEO said the construction of a comprehensive cancer diagnosis and treatment facility in Peshawar will not only provide state-of-the-art treatment services to the people of KP irrespective of their ability to pay, but also help raise healthcare standards and provide training and employment opportunities in the wider region.

`We did this in the past by making the first SKMCH and research centre in Lahore and together we can do this again by transforming the dream of a second hospital in Peshawar into reality,` Dr Sultan concluded.