- By: Dr. Muhammad Tayyab Khan Singhanvi, (Ph.D)
Across the world, healthcare is not merely an emblem of humanitarian service; it also reflects a nation’s cultural, scientific, and administrative maturity. In medicine, there are moments when knowledge, skill, and experience alone are not enough. What is needed is a healing force that transcends surgery a force born of unity, compassion, and the purest intent to serve. When, in a developing country like Pakistan amid limited resources, sluggish systems, and inequitable access an institution accomplishes something truly extraordinary, it undoubtedly deserves to be recognized as a national treasure.
Under the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI), Kulsoom Bai Social Security (SITE) Hospital stands as a shining beacon. Its Medical Superintendent, Dr. Mumtaz Ali Shaikh (may his healing hands remain steadfast, and his compassionate heart endure!), is not merely a medical expert, but a living embodiment of grace a balm to wounds, a standard-bearer of service, and a source of hope for afflicted hearts. His personality is a harmonious blend of knowledge, skill, compassion, sincerity, integrity, and humility. Truly, he is among those rare physicians in whom the spirit of service becomes visible.
Dr. Mumtaz Ali Shaikh is one of those rare individuals whose presence not only brings healing but evokes divine mercy. Through tireless efforts and visionary leadership, he has revitalized the trust, dignity, and spiritual energy of Kulsoom Bai Valika Social Security Hospital.
Recently, under his farsighted leadership, the hospital’s ENT department achieved a historic breakthrough successfully performing two extremely complex, multi-procedural cancer surgeries. These exceptional achievements are a source of pride not only for the medical fraternity but for the nation at large. Both patients were battling life-threatening advanced-stage cancers, where the treatment required not only surgical precision but profound empathy and complete clinical harmony.
The first case involved an elderly woman suffering from cancer of the tongue, which had aggressively spread to the floor of the mouth and jawbone. In such critical cases, timely, comprehensive, and meticulously performed surgery is often the only chance of survival. On July 1st, 2025, under the leadership of Dr. Tahir Hussain Khan and Dr. Abdul Waheed, the ENT team conducted a lengthy and extremely intricate operation. This included the excision of cervical lymph nodes, submandibular gland, internal jugular vein, and sternocleidomastoid muscle. Additionally, advanced procedures such as hemiglossectomy, floor-of-mouth resection, and segmental mandibulectomy were carried out.
Excising malignant tissues in accordance with oncological principles demands both surgical brilliance and scientific accuracy. All samples were sent for histopathological analysis to confirm tumor type, grade, and margins. These protocols align with the global standards laid out by institutions like NCCN and ESMO.
Soon afterward, a second patient presented with squamous cell carcinoma of the right cheek. The tumor had infiltrated facial tissues, muscles, and skin demanding immediate and aggressive surgical intervention. Once again, the ENT team demonstrated masterful expertise and coordination. A modified radical neck dissection and wide local excision were performed. Plastic surgeon Dr. Baslat took the lead in reconstruction using a PM flap, while Dr. Sikandar and Dr. Dawood provided nutritional support through gastrostomy tube placement. The surgery concluded successfully by 4:00 p.m a victory not just of technique, but of a seamlessly functioning clinical ecosystem.
This medical triumph was the result of dedicated teamwork. Dr. Tahir Hussain Khan’s surgical command, Dr. Raheel’s airway management, Dr. Irfan (RMO)’s pre-operative coordination, and the committed assistance of Arif Rana, Muhammad Owais, Maurice Sabir, Ataullah, and Hamza Ahmad in the operating theatre all contributed to this remarkable outcome. This was not merely a surgical accomplishment, but a shining example of an integrated and responsive clinical system.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of oral cancer is rising rapidly in South Asia. Key contributors include tobacco, gutka, naswar, bidis, and other harmful substances. Once cancer spreads to the tongue, jaw, and cervical nodes, it begins to affect speech, nutrition, and facial identity. In such situations, not only is oncologic surgery necessary, but reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation strategies become vital.
In Pakistan, access to comprehensive cancer treatment remains scarce. As per the National Cancer Registry, more than 150,000 new cancer cases are reported annually, with oral cancer being alarmingly prevalent. Most head and neck cancer patients come from impoverished backgrounds. For them, Kulsoom Bai Valika Social Security (SITE) Hospital is not merely a treatment facility it is a beacon of hope.
Another extraordinary aspect of this achievement is the hospital’s non-commercial, service-oriented ethos. It provides care to laborers, low-income workers, and marginalized communities free from bias and profit motives. Under Dr. Mumtaz Ali Shaikh’s compassionate leadership, the ENT team received complete institutional support, resources, and moral encouragement. His vision, the team’s synergy, and their ethical foundations represent a model of hospital culture that should be emulated across the public healthcare system.
The success of these surgeries goes far beyond saving two lives it represents the revival of a system, the empowerment of a team, and the awakening of a nation’s medical conscience. When leadership is sincere, surgeons are trusted, and the team works in harmony, no medical challenge remains insurmountable.
The ENT team at Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital is not just treating patients they are establishing a new clinical paradigm for the entire public health infrastructure. Their achievements speak to a profound truth: when advanced surgery, scientific precision, and humanitarian values converge, it is not just healing that takes place life itself is reborn.
All praise be to Allah that the ENT team has inscribed a new chapter in medical history under the banner of social security healthcare ushering in a new era of excellence and compassion. May Allah protect this team, elevate their knowledge and skills, and may every hospital in our nation witness similar triumphs.
As revealed in the Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:32), Translation (Maulana Mahmood-ul-Hasan):
“For this reason, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless in retribution for another soul or for spreading corruption in the land it is as if he had slain all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as if he had saved all mankind.”
This verse elevates the act of saving a single life to the redemptive level of saving all of humanity and there can be no better, more fitting expression of this than the heroic endeavors of the ENT team.