Pakistan’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (INMOL) in Lahore has been designated an IAEA Collaborating Centre, a major step that brings the cancer hospital into the International Atomic Energy Agency’s global cooperation network for cancer care, training, and research. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the agreement was signed in Vienna by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
The designation is important because IAEA Collaborating Centres support the agency’s work in areas such as nuclear medicine, oncology, radiotherapy, professional training, and technical cooperation. In practical terms, INMOL is now positioned to work more closely with international experts, help train specialists, and contribute to regional capacity-building in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Arab News reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing during his visit to Vienna and described the move as part of broader Pakistan-IAEA cooperation in peaceful nuclear applications, especially healthcare. The report said the agreement would help expand collaboration in cancer treatment and nuclear medicine services.
INMOL itself describes the hospital as a long-established cancer center in Lahore that has provided diagnostic and treatment services since 1984, and says it has already been recognized by the IAEA as a centre of excellence and referral centre in the Asia-Pacific region. The new Collaborating Centre status therefore builds on an already established role in Pakistan’s cancer-care system.
Overall, the development is being seen as a major milestone for Pakistan because it raises INMOL’s international profile and could improve access to advanced cancer expertise, training, and institutional partnerships. It also signals stronger Pakistani engagement with global efforts to improve cancer care through nuclear medicine and radiotherapy.
