Former JPMC head of radiology awarded prestigious fellowship by UK’s Royal College

The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) in the UK has awarded its prestigious honorary fellowship to Dr Tariq Mahmood, the former head of radiology at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, for his contributions in transforming the hospital’s radiology centre into a centre of excellence.

The honorary fellowship by the RCR is the most prestigious award given to a non-fellow of the college, with only 78 individuals worldwide having received this honour. On June 28, Prof Dr Tariq Mahmood received the award at Central Hall Westminster, London. The citation highlighted his significant work in radiology and radiation oncology in Pakistan.

Dr Tariq Mahmood, professor emeritus of radiation oncology at the JPMC, is the first Pakistani and the first Muslim professor in the world to receive this prestigious award. He is also a recipient of the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for public service, the honorary rank of surgeon commander from the chief of naval staff, and holds an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Edinburgh for his services in medicine.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed his appreciation for the recognition given to Cyberknife, a radiation oncology service at the JPMC Karachi, by the Royal College of Radiologists, United Kingdom. He sees this award as a testament to the hard work and commitment of his government to the health sector and the people of the province.

Shah stated that the Cyberknife radiation oncology services at the JPMC have been honoured by The Royal College of Radiologists. This recognition is a matter of great pride for Sindh and Pakistan, as it signifies the acknowledgment of the free cancer treatment facility provided through a public-private partnership between the Government of Sindh and the Patients Aid Foundation at the JPMC.

The RCR, established in 1897 with the invention of X-ray radiation and the establishment of the Roentgen Society, has the largest number of fellows worldwide, serving as radiologists and radiation oncologists.

Prof. Mahmood extended his gratitude to the Honourable Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Minister of Health Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho for the donation of a new top-of-the-line Cyberknife S7 unit and to the donors of the Patients Aid Foundation for another Tomotherapy X9 unit.

Since 2012, JPMC has been the only center in the world to offer free cancer treatment with Cyberknife and Tomotherapy, regardless of nationality, religion, or ethnicity. Patients from 15 countries and 167 cities in Pakistan have benefited from this free service, which globally costs millions of rupees.

The Radiation Oncology department at the JPMC is equipped with two Cyberknife units, two Tomotherapy units, and Equinox 100, placing it among the top ten centres in the world for technology. These units provide highly precise treatments and can cure early-stage cancers of the prostate, brain, spine, lung, liver, head & neck, among others.

Furthermore, the Radiation Oncology section has been offering free PET-CT scans since 2017. To meet the growing demand, the department has launched new isotopes for prostate, brain, and cardiac scans and plans to conduct over 4,000 free PET-CT scans in the next fiscal year.