The people of Balochistan are facing a terrible crisis due to the lack of cancer treatment facilities. As the largest province in Pakistan by land area, it is shocking that we do not have enough hospitals to treat this deadly disease.
Currently, Cenar in Quetta is the only major centre for cancer patients in the entire province. Because there is only one facility, it is always overcrowded. Many patients from remote areas like Gwadar, Khuzdar, Turbat, Tump or Zhob, and many more have to travel for several days just to reach Quetta. For those who cannot get a place there, the only choice is to travel all the way to Karachi or Lahore. These long trips are not only expensive but also very hard on patients who are already fighting for their lives. Many families in Balochistan are poor and cannot afford private hospitals or the cost of staying in other cities for months of treatment.
I request the authorities to speed up the construction of new cancer departments and ensure that modern machines and medicines are available in Balochistan. No one should have to lose their life simply because they live too far from a hospital.
Waseem Hasil
Meerabad, Balochistan
