Advancing Women’s Health Equity at Shalamar Hospital

Integrated Care, Education, Research and Advocacy for Women’s Health

At Shalamar Hospital, women’s health is an integral part of our commitment to delivering accessible, compassionate, and comprehensive healthcare. Women constitute a significant proportion of the patients we serve, and their healthcare needs have shaped our clinical priorities for more than four decades.

Between 2017 and 2022 alone, Shalamar Hospital provided care to more than 1.4 million female patients, reflecting both the scale of healthcare needs and the trust placed in the institution by the surrounding community.

Our approach to advancing women’s health equity is built around three interconnected pillars: treatment, patient education, and research, supported by advocacy and initiatives that aim to improve access to quality healthcare for women.

A Dedicated Approach to Women’s Healthcare

Shalamar Hospital has evolved from providing women’s health services primarily through general departments to developing a dedicated, integrated model designed around the specific needs of women.

Shalamar Women’s Health Center

The Shalamar Women’s Health Center brings together multiple specialties and services within a coordinated, female-centric environment. The center integrates:

• Breast health
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Osteoporosis care
• Rheumatology
• Mother and child health services
• Breast imaging

The center was developed in consultation with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, including institutional assessment, planning, and knowledge exchange. Shalamar clinicians have also participated in observerships at Johns Hopkins to strengthen clinical, administrative, and operational expertise.

The Women’s Health Center is designed to promote privacy, dignity, comfort, continuity of care, and coordinated treatment. Shared medical records, cross-referrals, and structured follow-up help patients navigate their healthcare journey more efficiently.

Shalamar Breast Center

The Shalamar Breast Center is a key component of the Women’s Health Center and provides a comprehensive, one-stop approach to breast health.

Services include:

• Clinical breast examination
• Diagnostic mammography and ultrasound
• Image-guided biopsy
• Oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery
• Lumpectomy and mastectomy
• Implant-based and autologous reconstruction
• Multidisciplinary coordination with radiology, pathology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology

The center evaluates and screens thousands of women every month, with a focus on early detection and appropriate diagnostic pathways.

Comprehensive Obstetrics and Gynaecology Care

Shalamar Hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology provides care across the female life course, from adolescence through menopause.

The department manages routine and high-risk pregnancies and provides specialized services through dedicated clinics, including:

• Infertility care
• Urogynaecology
• Gynaecologic oncology
• Maternal and child health

This comprehensive approach enables women to access reproductive and maternal healthcare alongside specialized services when required.

Supporting Access to Healthcare

Women’s health at Shalamar extends beyond dedicated clinics. Hospital-wide infrastructure supports women throughout their healthcare journey, including:

• 24/7 ambulance and emergency services
• Mammography and ultrasound
• Doppler, CT and MRI services
• Accredited pathology laboratory services
• Financial-assistance pathways for patients who are unable to pay in full

Through subsidized and free treatment pathways, internal referrals, and discount packages, Shalamar aims to make holistic women’s healthcare more accessible.

Education and Awareness: Empowering Women Through Knowledge

Healthcare equity is not only about providing treatment—it is also about ensuring that women have the information and support they need to make informed decisions about their health.

At Shalamar, patient education takes place through clinical counselling, awareness programs, community outreach, and a healthcare environment designed to encourage communication and trust.

Patient Counselling and Navigation

Breast health navigators and nurses support patients throughout the screening, diagnosis, and treatment process. They help women understand their results, treatment options, and the next steps in their care.

Multidisciplinary discussions involving surgery, oncology, radiology, and pathology are translated into coordinated communication with patients, reducing fragmented information and helping women make informed decisions.

Confidential, one-to-one counselling is also an important part of the Women’s Health Center, particularly for sensitive areas such as breast disease, infertility, and menopause.

Community Awareness and Screening

Shalamar actively promotes preventive healthcare and early detection through awareness programs, screening initiatives, and community outreach.

Breast cancer awareness activities focus on:

• Breast self-examination awareness
• Screening
• Recognition of early symptoms
• Encouraging timely medical consultation

The hospital also extends health education beyond its walls through partnerships and outreach initiatives, including collaborations with organizations and educational institutions.

Breast cancer awareness and education camps in girls’ colleges provide an opportunity to engage women early and promote awareness of breast health.

Creating a Respectful Healthcare Environment

A woman’s healthcare experience is influenced not only by clinical treatment but also by the environment in which she receives care.

The Women’s Health Center incorporates a female-centric approach that emphasizes privacy, dignity, confidentiality, and respectful communication.

Privacy cabins, female staff, flexible arrangements, and confidential doctor-patient communication are among the measures designed to create an environment where women feel comfortable discussing their health concerns.

A coordinated, one-stop model can also reduce the practical barriers associated with multiple visits and navigating different healthcare providers.

Research and Innovation in Women’s Health

Research is a fundamental part of Shalamar Institute of Health Sciences’ approach to improving women’s health.

Through academic partnerships, faculty-led research, and institutional initiatives, SIHS works to generate local evidence, strengthen clinical capacity, and train the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers.

Academic and International Partnerships

The collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine International has supported the development of the Women’s Health Center and contributed to institutional learning and capacity building.

Partnerships with Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) also provide opportunities for students to engage in hospital operations and research-related projects under the mentorship of senior Shalamar leadership.

Faculty members, including breast surgery specialists, contribute to the broader academic community through research and presentations at professional conferences.

Extending Healthcare Beyond Hospital Walls

Shalamar is also exploring technology-driven approaches to extend healthcare education and access.

An AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot initiative, developed through collaboration between SIHS and LUMS, is being pursued to support the management of diabetes and hypertension—conditions that can have a significant impact on women’s long-term health.

Telemedicine initiatives further support women who may face difficulties travelling to the hospital, helping extend consultations beyond the physical boundaries of the healthcare facility.

Advocacy for Women’s Health Equity

Shalamar’s commitment to women’s health also includes advocacy, awareness, professional education, and patient support.

Key initiatives include:

• Patient navigators who support women throughout their healthcare journey
• Breast cancer awareness camps in girls’ colleges
• Educational podcasts addressing women’s health and preventive care
• Ethical, consent-based patient success stories that encourage women to seek timely treatment
• Continuing Medical Education (CME) on women-specific health topics for healthcare professionals
• Community and corporate health outreach
• Collaboration with LUMS on a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-supported chatbot initiative focused on supporting women seeking gynaecological care

A Commitment to a More Equitable Future

At Shalamar Hospital, advancing women’s health equity means addressing more than individual illnesses. It means creating an integrated healthcare environment where women can access prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, education, counselling, research, and ongoing support.

Our vision is to continue strengthening women’s healthcare through dedicated infrastructure, evidence-based clinical practice, education, technology, research, and partnerships.

Treat the women here today; train the doctors and build the evidence that reach the rest tomorrow; and advocate to change the system for all of them.