Secretary Health Punjab says healthy mother means a healthy society

Lahore: Secretary Health Punjab Arif Nadeem has said that mutual coordination between Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centers (RHCs) and Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals is essential to provide better medical care to the people living in rural areas. He said a , country and the nation.

He expressed these views while addressing inaugural ceremony of a “Health Mela”, held under the auspices of Health Department at Basic Health Unit(BHU) Ferozwala in connection with Healthy Mother and Child Week, being observed in Punjab. He said Healthy Mother and Child Week and “Health Mela” would go along way in playing an active role in creating awareness among the general public about health issues. He said the lives of pregnant women, mothers and newly-born children can be saved by adopting preventive measures.

Secretary Health further said that the Punjab government has included pneumococcal vaccine as part of preventive vaccination for the children to safeguard them against pneumonia. He said that this vaccine was previously only available to the children of rich persons, however, on the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, this vaccine is now being made available free of costs, which cost over rupees four thousand per dose. He said this vaccine which saves the children against pneumonia, would reduce mortality rate among children which currently stands at 30 thousand children per year in the country. Secretary Health said that many illnesses can prevented by adopting a habit of washing hands, among the children and adults. He called up mothers to bring their children to government health centers and hospitals so that they could be provided proper care as well as awareness in this regard. Provincial Coordinator for Family Planning and primary Health Dr. Akhtar Rashid Malik, District Officer of Health Department and representative of UNICEF were also present on the occasion.