Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah reviews welfare initiatives for cancer patients at INMOL

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah on Thursday visited Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Lahore (INMOL) to review welfare initiatives supported by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) for underprivileged cancer patients

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Apr, 2026) Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah on Thursday visited Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Lahore (INMOL) to review welfare initiatives supported by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) for underprivileged cancer patients.

The minister’s delegation was received by Dr Shakeel Abbas Rofi, Member Science of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, (PAEC) and the INMOL administration. The visit was coordinated by PAEC, under whose auspices INMOL operates as a leading cancer care institution providing advanced diagnostic and treatment services.

Speaking on the occasion, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah appreciated the services of INMOL and other PAEC hospitals, saying poverty alleviation was a mission of the government and social safety initiatives would be expanded to facilitate deserving patients.

He said Individual Medical Assistance under PBM had been enhanced from Rs1 million to Rs1.5 million, adding that the programme would be further strengthened through increased budgetary allocations.

He clarified that financial assistance provided through PBM was a government endowment fund and not charity.

The minister directed that maximum patients be referred to PBM and instructed authorities to make the disbursement mechanism more efficient and hassle-free.

Earlier, Dr Shakeel Abbas Rofi briefed the minister on INMOL’s services and highlighted that PAEC’s network of 21 cancer hospitals was providing modern treatment facilities to a majority of cancer patients across the country.

Director INMOL Dr Amira Shami also gave a detailed presentation on the hospital’s performance and pointed out challenges in utilisation of PBM, suggesting measures to make it more accessible.

Later, the minister visited different sections of the hospital, interacted with patients and reviewed operational arrangements, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring access to quality healthcare and social protection for vulnerable segments of society.