REHANA PANJWANI BECOMES THE FIRST AND ONLY PAKISTANI AND SOUTH ASIAN TO RECEIVE SIOP NURSING LEADERSHIP AWARD

Rehana Panjwani, a manager at the Indus Hospital Research Centre, has become the first Pakistani nurse to receive the prestigious Société Internationale d’Oncologie Pédiatrique/International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Nursing Leadership Award for her services in the field of Pediatric Oncology Nursing.

A highly accomplished professional, Rehana has been associated with the field for over 20 years, with more than 16 years of expertise in nursing in Pediatric Oncology. She is now the first and the only Pakistani and South Asian nurse to receive this award. Only three other nurses have received the award previously, two from the United Kingdom and one from the United States of America.

“Pediatric Oncology Nursing is my passion. Advocacy, teaching, and empowering nurses in Low Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) is and will remain my goals.” says Rehana, who served as Manager of the Nursing Pediatric Complex at The Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus in Karachi.

Rehana is the founder of the first Pediatric Oncology Nursing Department in Pakistan. Since its inception in 2009, it has trained more than 350 nurses from all over the country, including 15 international nurses from Asia and Africa.

Her accomplishments include working on the Baseline Standards Task Force, which highlights the importance of achieving safe practice standards for Pediatric Oncology Nurses in LMICs. As a member of the SIOP Nursing committee and a nurse specialist for the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, Rehana has continued to amplify the voice and priorities of Pediatric Oncology Nurses.

Additionally, she has designed the Pediatric Oncology Nursing Education course at The Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus, which provides opportunities for many nurses in LMICs to obtain specialized knowledge and training not otherwise available.

About the International Society of Pediatric Oncology

SIOP was formed on November 6, 1969. The organization is the only global multidisciplinary society devoted to Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer. The society has over 1,800 members worldwide, including doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals, scientists, and researchers.

The SIOP Nursing Leadership Award is an initiative of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology that pays tribute to Pediatric Oncology nurses and adolescent cancer workers every year who serve the people.