Spokesman Report

Islamabad: To mark Pink October, Hashoo Group, in collaboration with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Cancer Research Centre, actively worked towards spreading awareness on the early detection of breast cancer.

Statistics show that one in every nine Pakistani women develops breast cancer at least once. It is possible to prevent thousands of deaths caused by breast cancer with early detection. Therefore, calling attention to this awareness remained the topmost corporate social responsibility of Hashoo Group during October.

This October marked the sixth consecutive year since Hashoo Group joined hands with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre for the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign to help raise awareness. Keeping the tradition alive, this year, the teams of Shaukat Khanum Memorial visited all of Hashoo Group’s hotels across Pakistan, including Pearl-Continental Hotels and Marriott Hotels. During the visit, they educated our staff, guests, and associates on the importance of early detection, self-examination, the symptoms of breast cancer, and the importance of having regular mammograms from age 40 onwards. In addition, awareness sessions on early cancer detection were conducted by qualified oncologists, including Dr Ayesha Hassan, Dr Safoora and Dr Maria Dastagir from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Cancer Research Centre. As a result, there was an increase in engagement and interaction compared to the previous years, which shows that such campaigns are breaking the cultural taboo, which is one of the leading factors of the high mortality rate.

The hotel facades were also lit up in pink lights, and a Pink Hi-Tea was arranged in the spirit of breast cancer awareness month at Pearl-Continental Hotels in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Bhurban, and Muzaffarabad, and the Marriott Hotels in Islamabad and Karachi.