GILGIT INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE ONCOLOGY & RAIOTHERAPY
Dr Asma Zaman Malik
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is a mountainous region of Pakistan with a population of nearly 2.2 million. A large segment of this population lives below the poverty line and is unable to afford quality healthcare. Unfortunately, cancer incidence in the region is relatively high, and until recently, there was no dedicated cancer hospital available for diagnosis and treatment. The nearest facilities were located in Abbottabad (380 km away) and Islamabad (470 km away), requiring patients to travel long distances through difficult hilly terrain for frequent treatment sessions. Recognizing this critical need, the Gilgit Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology & Radiotherapy (GINOR), Gilgit was established to provide modern diagnostic and therapeutic facilities close to home.
GINOR is the 19th cancer hospital under the umbrella of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). It was formally inaugurated on 14 January 2022. It is the largest Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital (AECH) in terms of land area, with an indoor admission capacity of 50 beds.
The objective of establishing AECH-GINOR was to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment facilities to the people of the GB region at their doorstep. The hospital has fully equipped specialized departments including Radiotherapy, Nuclear Medicine, Radiology and Pathology Lab, for provision of timely, modern, and affordable cancer treatment services. The diagnostic equipment installed at GINOR includes Gamma Camera Dual Head, SPECT-CT, DEXA Scan, X-Ray with CR System, 4D Ultrasound and Doppler, Digital Mammography Unit, Diagnostic CT (64 slices), Digital Simulator, Biochemistry Analyzer, ETT Machine and PCR. The hospital provides treatment therapies, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy and radiation therapy (through 3D planning both curative and palliative) using Cobalt-60.
The hospital provides these cancer diagnostic and treatment facilities to the patients of the GB region. Most of these patients are supported through various government and welfare programs, including the Gilgit-Baltistan Health Endowment Fund, Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal, and Sehat Sahulat Program. This ensures that even the poorest patients can access life-saving cancer treatments without bearing the full financial burden.
AECH-GINOR is providing modern comprehensive cancer treatment facilities to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan at their doorstep. This has significantly contributed to the region by alleviating the hardships of traveling long distances and has become a beacon of hope for the patients.
