People should live a simple life to avoid diseases : Mujtaba Shuja

Lahore: Minister Excise & Taxation and Finance, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said that the present government is paying full attention towards provision of state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the people at grass root level. He stressed upon the doctors community for launching massive awareness campaign for sensitizing the people about hazardous aspects of smoking with a view to prevent cardio vascular diseases besides lungs, bronchitis and various types of lungs cancer.

While talking to various delegations regarding World Blood Pressure Day, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that in Pakistan itself, more than 40% of the adultery population over the age of 45 suffers from one form or the other of non-communicable disease, such as heart disease, highblood pressure, diabetes and cancer and the trend seems to be on the rise.

This increasing trend is likely to double the burden of disease in developing countries and clearly is likely to have significant health economic implications as a result of cost of care and lost productivity costs, he maintained. He said that the risk factors involved in heart diseases could be controlled through exercises and spending simple life style.

The people should live a simple life and change their eating habits to protect themselves from cardio-vascular diseases, he added. He said that the risk factors involved in heart diseases could be controlled through exercises and spending simple life style. He stressed the need for creating awareness among the general public about the heart diseases and their risk factors i.e. smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity as well as physical inactivity and use of tobacco.

Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that by increasing the health budget up to 102 billion rupees, the present government has ensured modern health facilities and free medicines as well as air-conditioning in general wards to poor and resource less people. He said that huge amount of 7.5billon is being spent on the provision of free treatment and medicines to the poor and destitute in public sector hospitals of the province. He said that Punjab government is focusing on the provision of healthcare facilities to the common people specially people living in remote and far flung areas and has taken revolutionary steps in the field of health so that latest medical facilities could be provided to the people at their door steps.

The government was up-grading the status of DHQs, THQs and RHCs and surgeons, lady doctors and other infrastructures is being provided in these hospitals, he concluded